the truth 1960s/plain truth...dear mr. armstrong: “your broadcast is filling a need for those who...

The PLAIN TRUTH February, 1960

of seiiiiuiis or hcudies in the Book of Revelation which he is so painstakingly carrying us through. It is simply wonderful. I sit with my Bible on the table, and colored pencil, and my ears g h e d to the radio for 2 hours each night in order to get every word. It is so precious, and means everything to me. . . .”

Woman, Taylor, Texas

Dear Mr. Armstrong: “Your broadcast is filling a need for

those who ‘go to sleep’ on the ‘milk- toast’ diet that is served from our pulpits today-a diet that fails even to sustain where it should be giving strength.”

Man from Bowling Green, Missouri

Learning Truths of Bible “I want to thank you so much for the

lessons. I have been studying and thank God for the opportunity of learning the real truths of the Bible. I’ll have to admit I had many false ideas before studying these lessons and can’t wait for the next lesson to arrive.”

Student from Tampa, Florida

No Subscription Price “Having lead a copy of The PLAIN

TRUTH, am very much impressed by it. My son got it from an adult Sunday school teacher. Would like to receive the paper but did not find a subscription price. A paper like that should have a wide circulation. It is wonderful and the plain trdh.”

Woman, Derry, Pennsylvania

Gospel Is Different “I have been hearing you for several

years but when I first heard you it was so different from what I had always heard until I would just turn you off. But I am so thankful I began reading The PLAIN TRUTH and reading my Bible along with it and some of your books. Now I see the Truth opened up to me and 1 would rather miss a real good meal of natural food than to miss one of your programs.”

Woman, Oklahoma

Complete Change “We find that we have to make a com-

plete change, and we thank God for revealing to us the truth through you and your son Garner Ted. I am going to start paying in our tithes.”

Man from Whick, Kentucky

a m a g a z i n e o f u n d e r s t a n d i n g

VOL. xxv NO. 2 Publirhed monthly at Pasadena California and London England by Ambassaddr College. COPY- right 1160, by Radio Church of God.

EDITORIAL STAFF

Herbert W. Armstrong, Editof Garner Ted Armstrong, Execrrtive Editor Herman L. Hoeh, Managing Editor Roderick C. Meredith, Associate Edbor

REGIONAL EDITORS ABROAD

United Kingdom: Raymond F. McNair Australia: Gerald Waterhouse South America: Benjamin L. Rea

BUSINESS MANAGER

Vern R. Mattson, Controller CIRCULATION MANAGERS

United States: Hugh Mauck United Kingdom: Ernest Martin Australia: Frank Longuskie South America: Leon Walker

NO SUBSCMPTION PRICE. Sent free to those who request it for themselves. Bulk copies for distri- bution not given or sold.

ADDRESS ALL COMMUNICATIONS to the Fdiror Box 1 1 1 , Pasadena, California. Our readers in United Kinadom. Euroae. and Africa should ad. dress the Editor. B.C:M. Ambassador, London W.C.1. Readers in Australia the Philippines China and south-eastern Asia ihould address the Editor, Box 345, North Sydney, Australia. FIE SURE TO NOTIFY US IMMEDIATELY O f an change in your address. Please inclose both 013 and new addresses. IMPORTANT!

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Rejoices at Growth of Work “Dear Mr. Armstrong:

“The great speed at which the work has been progressing over the world has been amazing. I just couldn’t believe that so much has been done since last June. I could just see the lovely college campus in London and can hardly wait to hear your son tell of the work in Australia. Well, I just cried to think of how Jesus is really blessing the true work of God. May He continue to bless until He comes and sets up His true Kingdom here on Earth.”

Woman from Pueblo, Colorado

Open Mind “Dear Mr. Armstrong:

“I am of a different faith from you but I do read The PLAIN TRUTH with en- joyment and misgivings, for some of the things are frightening if true. I read with

an open mind and God as my witness says that they are. I would now like to know more.”

Man from Seattle, Washington

Dear Mr. Armstrong: “I can hardly wait for the monthly

magazine. I have a small resort here. I tell every sick person about your magazine and let them read mine. Most of the time when they leave, they ask to take my magazine with them.”

Woman from Sierra Blanca, Texas

Man from South Africa “I have the pleasure of informing you

how much I have benefited from your lectures, and am still enjoying them very much. I must say there has been a great change in my life since I have read and studied The PLAIN TRUTH.”

Man from Johannesburg, South Africa

Life Being Changed “Dear Mr. Armstrong:

“Foilr months ago I was a wild, sense- less person, married with two children, and no Christianity in our home. Then one night I heard your program-got real iiircrcsred, and never missed any programs of yours since. I stopped drinking three months ago and am now fighting smoking. I also bought a new Bible. I thank you for your wonderful work in explaining the real truth. PLEASE keep it up -don’t stop.”

Man, Chicago, Illinois

Faith Restored “Listening to you for the past two

months has restored my faith in the Bible and all that it implies. My humble words are inadequate to express my sincerest appreciation to you and your son.”

Chiropractor, Victoria, B.C.

Novel Way of Helping Others “We listen to your broadcast evcry

night over station WLAC, Nashville, Tennessee. There are several around here that listen so we ring a short over the telephone (battery type) when you come on the air at 7:OO so no one will m i g e i r ”

Woman, Grady, Alabama

Series on Revelation “I want to especially thank Mr. Ted

Armstrong for this most wonderful series

Seven Proofs God EXISTS! This i s the most vital decade of all history! N E V E R has it been more urgently necessary to answer the question, “Does God Exis t 2” Atheists, scientists and historical geologists assume H e does not! Churchgoers, some Christians assume H e does! It’s time to QUIT

HERE is a delusion gripping the minds of more people today than Communism! It holds them in its

sway, deluding and deceiving them, making them veritable slaves! It is the concept of “no God.”

Recently, Sir Julian Huxley, grandson of the famed evolutionist, stated: “There is no longer either need or room for supernatural beings capable of affecting the course of events in the evolutionary pattern of thought. The earth was not created, ir evolved. So did all the ariiriials and plants that inhabit it, including our human selves, mind and soul as well as brain and body.”

Is there “no longer any need for a concept of God”? Is the Bible merely a collcction of Hcbrcw fablcs, or thc dy- namic living word of an intelligent, all- wise Creator Being?

These questions demand an answer! Your very life, the lives of your loved ones, and the future of this world hangs in the balance!

T

Proof Number One

Need “Christians” be afraid or appre- hensive of science textbooks? Is the Bible totally out of harmony with all science? Do modern-day discoveries in the sci- ences render the Christian helpless to reconcile his belief with the “enlightened age” in which he lives?

This first POSITIVE PROOF of the existence of God is so broad, so all-encom- passing, so diverse in its many ramifica- tions that it is possible only to barely scratch the surface in this brief article. However, there can be no clearer way to substantiate this proof than to quote from a typical college textbook which discards the Bible record. In the foreword material, the authors offer various expla- nations as to the origin of the earth:

“Our own galaxy, which we remember is but a tiny part of the universe, has probably existed a million, million years.

“But some progress has been made in

ASSUMING! It’s time you saw the PROOF! by Garner Ted Arrnsfrong

uttempting to explain how and when the sun and its nine planets came into being. The study of the solar system gives us at least a clue to the origin of that part of the universe most important to us-the earth.

“The explunuzion communly accepted today is called the Hypothesis of Dynam- ic Encounter, formulated about 1900 by T. C. Chamberlain and F. R. Moulton of the University of Chicago. In brief it suggests that our solar system had its birth when the sun was approachcd by another huge star. The latter, through the operation of the law of gravitation, detached from the sun great masses of flaming gas. The orphan masses from the parent sun gradually cooled and crys- tallized to become the nuclei of planets. These continued to revolve around the sun, held in their orbits by the gravitational pull of the parent body.

“The evolution of the earth to its present state was very gradual.” (Civil iza- tion Past and Present, Vol. I, 1, Wallbank and Taylor.)

I quote this statement in full for a very special reason!

Let’s go back and carefully ANALYZE

what we have just read! Notice carefully the italicized words

in the quotation you have just read. We have such words in the opening phrases as “probably; some progress has been made; attempting t o explain; at least a c h e ; explanation commonly acceped; Hypothesis; and it suggests.”

W h a t a collection! Here are numerous “attempts” to explain, “some progress” being made, at least a “clue,” and the “suggestion” of an “hypothesis” - the very word itself meaning “WE GUESS”!

T h e n , in very careful wording, having begun with a number of “possibles” and “perhapses” the book begins to tell of definite PAST OCCURRENCES which are said t o have taken place!

But let’s analyze further. Let’s get to the very trunk of the tree of this very

vital FIRST PROOF of the existence of God!

Notice it! In the very BEGINNING the writers,

even though beginning with many attempts t o explain, clues and guesses, admit the existence of our solar ~ystent , a “sun,” another “huge star,” the “operation of the law of gravitation,” great “masses of flaming gas,” and admit that these gases “gradually cooled! ”

They also mention how these gases “crystnllized” and then continued to “revolve around the sun, held in their orbits by the gravitational pull of the parent body! ”

What a fantastic array! Here is a tremendous, limitless, imagination-defying expanse-an entire uniwerre? Here is a whole solar system, a huge sun, the operation of certain, definite, immutable, unchangeable LAWS! Here is a supposed collision between gigantic, breathtaking ly huge astral bodies, resulting in the supposed formulation of our present solar system!

Think of it! All of these myriad laws, of heat, light, energy, motion, the rota- tion of astral bodies, the laws of gravity, the principle of isostasy, which demands that every orbital body must gradually assume and maintain a near-round shape, and myriad other laws are admitted to exist which are entirely too numerous to mention!

Yes, THINK! Get back to the real TRUNK of the

tree! Where is the place to begin? Is it an attempt to explain the existence of our present solar system? Decidedly not! Scientists and astronomers tell us that our solar system is only one of many such systems in our great galaxy called the “Milky Way.” However, even our galaxy is only one of myriad galaxies, which form only a part of the vast, limitless expanse of the universe. Our planet, astronomers assure us, is merely a third- rate planet in a second-rate solar system,

lost in the expanses of seemingly limitless space!

Do you begin to comprehend? By what LAW did one sLar approach another? By what LAW did heat gradually cool? By what LAW was there a “gravitational pull”? By what LAW

was there the existence of the “operation of the law of gravitation”?

Yes, there it is. In dissecting and look- ing carefully into the statements of some of the preposterous hypotheses which have been advanced, you begin to see that in every case the writers have begun with an orderly LAW-ABIDING universe, governed by irrefutable LAWS!

The existence of LAW, unchangeable, immutable, irrevocable, unseen and yet active, absolutely DEMANDS the existence of a GREAT LAWGIVER!

“There is one LAWGIVER who is able to save and to destroy . . .” (James 4: 12 ) .

That LAWGIVER is GOD!


Proof Number Two Before seeing this next amazing, irre-

futable proof, it is first necessary to state, in simple terms, the meaning of the word “evolution.” Of course, there are many processes called “evolution.”

The process of development of music from simple to complex is, i.n a sense, an “evolutionary” process. This, as is true in all technological inventions, has perhaps led many to assume such a development is also true in organic living material!

“Evolution is the gradual development from the simple unorganized condition of primal matter to the complex struc- ture of the physical universe; and in like manner, from the beginning of organic life on the habitable planet, a gradual unfolding and branching out into all the various forms of beings which consti- tute the animal and plant kingdoms.” (Organic Evolution, p. 6, Lull.)

Notice it! Evolution theorizes from the beginning of organic ltfe-already having LIFE with which to begin! It does not now show, nor has it ever shown, nor will it ever be able to show how life CAME into existence!

The theory of evolution (the word “theory” means “we thinR”) states simply, that all life forms that we know today, including humankind, all plant and animal life in all of its myriad

species, have gradually evolved from the most simple life forms to the complex, intricate, interdependent species we see about us today, each having its own peculiar cyclical life character, each producing according to its own kind.

Evolution states that this life evolved in a “gradual process,” by “resident forces” into the complexity of life today.

And herein, a t the very basic trunb of the tree of all evolutionary thought, lies one of the greatest proofs of God!

Evolutionists, geneticists, biologists, scientists in any field whatsoever have never been able to demonstrate, nor to offer the slightest evidence that the LIV- ING can come into existence from the not living!

It is true that certain laboratory experiments have taken place in which supposed “dead cells” are said to have been “revived” and brought back to life by the means of certain chemical com- pounds! This, however, is a far cry from “spontaneous generation.”

There is a broad, gaping, yawning chasm of separation between life and death. The great gap between the not- living and the living is so broad, so in- surmountable, so unfathomable by man, that evolutionists can only “suppose” and guess, offering vague, etherial, nebulous “theories” as to how life “might have” begun!

However, on the other hand, there is an absolute demonstrable law of science which comprises the second major proof of the existence of a life-giving God!

That is the Law of Biogenesis! “Bio” means life! “Genesis” means

beginning. This law, then, is a law con- cerning the BEGINNING of life! This law, simply stated, is the absolute law that life comes only from life, That the not-living can never give rise to, give birth to or produce the living.

There is perhaps no law known to science that can be any more firmly and easily demonstrated than the law of Bio- genesis.

The very existence of LIFE demands a LIFEGIVER!

God states dogmatically, “And thc Eternal God formed man of the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of Zdfe, and man became a living soul” (Gen. 2 : 7) .

Almighty God, the Life Self-Existent,

thc Onc who has life, who IS Life, who was before all things, IMPARTED life to the first man, and set within man, the animals, and ail piants, the cyclical chat- acter of life which enables them to reproduce according to certain set laws! GOD IS THE GREAT LIFEGIVER!

Proof Number Three Many of these amazing proofs of the

existence of an Almighty God “overlap.” That is, each is, to a degree, interre-

lated with the other. The third major proof of God can be stated quite simply from the quotation you saw under Proof Number One.

You will notice that evolutionists, in trying to substantiate their theory, always BEGIN with an orderly universe, and the existence of matter. Notice the so- called Theory of Evolution BEGINS with matter, laws, and “simple” life!

What is matter? Matter occupies space and has weight. It is not always necessarily seen, since certain gases, and even the air which you breathe, are also classified as “matter.”

Until recently, scientists talked of the law of the “conservation of matter.” However, with the discoveries in nuclear physics, and following Madame Curie’s experiments with radium, scientists have now found there is a certain amount of “disintegration” in matter!

This dererioration of matter is a sci- entific fact! Uranium (U 238) gradually disintegrates through many inter- mediate stages into lead (Pb 206). Uranium, as you may well know, is radioactive and gives off energy in the form of radiation.

Gradually, over a period of seemingly limitless years, this radioactive material disintegrates into lead! There is no new uranium coming into existence today!

This means, simply stated, that science has proved that this earth is gradually running down! The earth, and the whole universe, is like a great, giant clock, which at one time was wound u.p! It has been gradually “running down” ever since, and is not now by any process known or observed nr measured being “wound up” again!

It is as if man has arrived on the scene in the midst of an orderly universe which is gradually “running down”! Ob-

(Please continue on page 22)

The GREAT Commandment How can real HAPPINESS and PEACE be attained? The true ANSWER is found in this article! It is the beginning of a series of articles which thousands of you have requested-a series expounding in detail the Ten Commandments 04 Almighty God.

by Roderick C. Meredith

HIS is a LAWLESS age. Crime and violence are increasing at a fear- ful rate because among millions of

people there is practically no respect for law or constituted authority-either that of God, or of man!

On the international scene, nations live in daily fear because they very well know that the so-called “guarantees” and treaties of peace are not worth the paper on which they are written. There is NO

LAW-respect for no authority-among the nations of the world.

This is the world in which YOU live!

T

The Real SOURCE of Law

Men have lost all deep respect for law because they have forgotten the very source of ALL law and authority! Your Bible says: “There is one lawgiver, who is able to save and to destroy” (James 4: 1 2 ) . That lawgiver is Almighty GOD.

In their modern search for a man- devised “peace of mind” or a “religion that satisfies,” men have totally FOR- GOTTEN about the great GOD who RULES this universe! No wonder our young people--the leadem of tomorrow -have such a godless, lawless attitude.

One of the world’s foremost educators recently warned a group of military leaders of this very problem. He is Dr. Rufus von Klein-Smid, Chancellor of the University of Southern California. He stated: “I have no quarrel with the present emphasis placed on science, but today we are paying for support of schools which act from September 1 to June 30 as i f there were no God.” Dr. von Klein-Smid noted the “absence of moral values” in our youth resulting from this attitude.

When you leave the true GOD out, there is no real standard of behavior left. The result is spiritual chaos and lawlessness and wretchedness ifi the human heart.

In nearly all present-day religious de-

nominations, the tendency is to try to “modernize” and “democratize” God, and do away with His authority t o RULE His creation-and us, His creatures. There are very few truly “God fearing men” left on earth today!

Having made their imaginative pet “god” in their own image, men certainly do not stand in AWE and deep respect of such a “god.” They do not fear their “god.” And they certainly do not OBEY this creature of their own imagination!

Yet the real MESSAGE of Jesus Christ was about the God who CREATED and now RULES this earth! His was the God who blessed men for obedience to His laws-and who punished for disobedience.

God’s Perfect WAY Revealed

The Jesus Christ of your Bible always preached the gospel of the Kingdom of God (Mark 1 : 14; Luke 4:43 ) . In modern language, He preached the happy news of the GOVERNMENT of God-the RULE of God. He said: “Repent ye, and believe the gospel” (Mark 1 : 15 ) .

Before you can sincerely believe and accept Jesus Christ as your Savior, and have His shed blood cover your sins, you must REPENT. But repent of what? Repent of SIN!

What is sin? Despite the contradic- tory ideas and generalizations of organized religious denominations, your Bible clearly states: “sin i s the transgression of the law” ( I John 3:4).

Sin is breaking God’s spiritual law- the TEN COMMANDMENTS, That is defi- nitely and specifically what sin is!

Before God will forgive your past sins, you must first REPENT of breaking His law! You must learn to fear and respect God as the Supreme RULER of this universe-and 3s your King and Ruler.

Solomon, the wisest man who ever

lived, was inspired to write: “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge” (Pro. 1 :7) . This Godly fear is by no means a personal dread, but a deep respect and reverence for the great OFFICE and AUTHORITY of God- for His Divine power-His wisdom- His love.

Without faith in such a great and REAL God, man is INCOMPLETE. Cut off from the true God of law and order, man is purposeless, empty, frustrated, conf used.

The way OUT of modern man’s empti- ness and confusion may sound trite or simple to some people. But it is r e a G and it WORKS! It is simply that man must quit worshieping FALSE GODS, Man must return to the God of the Bible, the God of creation, the God who RULES this universe!

Summarizing His WAY to the fulfillment of man’s desire for a happy, abundant and purposeful life, God inspired these words at the end of the book of Ecclesiastes: “The end of the matter, all having been heard: fear God, and keep His commandments; for this is the WHOLE man’’ (Eccl. 12:13).

Man is frustrated and incomplete without this living, vital contact with God-walking His way, keeping HIS commandments. Obedience to God’s commaIidInents would bring PEACE, and FULFILLMENT and JOY t o all the nations and peoples of this earth!

It is the real ANSWER to ALL of our problems, individually and collectively! It is the WAY OF LIFE Jesus Christ is going to teach when He returns to rule this World! (Micah 4:2 ) . Do You Really UNDERSTAND

God’s Commandments?

The prophet David was a man after God’s own heart (Acts 13:22) . H e is used as a type of Christ, and will rule directly under Christ over the entire

nation of Israel in the soon-coming millennium (Ezek. 37:24) when Christ will bring PEACE to this earth.

David wrote: “0 how love I thy LAW! It is my meditation all the day” (Psalm 119: 97). David studied and pondered ouer God’s law all day long! He learned how to apply it to every situation in life.

This gave David wisdom. “Thou through thy COMMANDMENTS hast made me wiser than mine enemies” (verse 98).

God’s law showed David the way to go-a WAY OF LIFE. “Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my p a t h (verse 105).

Throughout this 119th Psalm, David declared how he loved God’s LAW, and used it as his guide in life.

Do YOU? Probably you DON’T. This is because

most of you have been taught that God’s law was done away-or else you simply have not realized that it is the ONLY real way of life that would bring man happiness and joy. You haven’t realized that God’s law reveals the very nature and CHARACTER of God Himself. And God commands us: “Be ye holy; for I am holy” ( I Peter 1:16).

Remember that the true Christians, the “little flock’ of Jesus, are described as those, “Which keep the COMMAND- MENTS of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ” (Revelation 12 : 17 ) . And God gives this description of the character of His saints: “Here is the patience of the saints: here are they that keep the COMMANDMENTS of God, and the faith of Jesus” (Revelation 14: 12 ) .

If you are to be counted among God’s true saints who will escape the seven last plagues, you will have to have this LIVING faith-this OBEDlENT faith in Almighty God through Jesus Christ living His life in you! You will have to understand and keep God’s spiritual law as revealed in the Ten Commandments!

In answer to thousands of requests, then, and to help all of you come to really UNDERSTAND the commandments of Almighty God your Creator, we are now beginning with this article a series explaining and expounding each of the Ten Commandments. You should really STUDY this series of articles, look up each scripture quoted, and ask God for


the love and strength to LIVE by His spiritual and holy law.

The ALMIGHTY God of Israel

To properly understand and feel the real impact of the Ten Commandments, let us notice the setting in which they were given. Remember that Moses and the Israelites had preserved the knowledge that their God was the Creator of heaven and earth. He was the great RULER of the earth who had brought about the Flood in the days of Noah, their forefather.

After the flood, He had called out their fathers, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob to serve Him, and through them made promises of national blessings to Israel as a nation-as well as spiritual blessings to come through their ultimate seed, the Christ. He was the God who led Joseph down into Egypt to make a way for Israel to live through the seven years of famine over all the earth.

After Joseph’s death, they found themselves under a Pharaoh who had not known Joseph and whose heart was turned against them. They suffered cruelly at the hands of Egyptian taskmasters who were now set over them and they were treated as slaves (Exodus 1 ).

But now the true God, the God of Israel, had delivered them from this Egyptian bondage and by tremendous MIRACLES had brought them out of Egypt and through the waters of the Red Sea which rose on either side of them as a mighty wall (Exodus 1 4 ) .

Since the time they had passed through the Red Sea, God had begun to deal with them and to remind them of His laws which they may have, in part, forgotten. Before they ever reached Mount Sinai, God erased all doubt about which day was His Sabbath by perform- ing a series of miracles to remind them of this (Exodus 16). In Exodus 18, Moses was already judging the people according to God’s laws and statutes (verse 16).

Now that they were come to Mount Sinai, God proposed-NOT to give them a new law-but to enter into a covenant or agreement with them so that they would be His special people and He would be their God whose laws and statutes and judgments they would obey.

Since the Ten Commandments were -and always will be-God’s basic spiritual law (Romans 7:14), they were made a Part of this agreement between God and Israel. Since they were His holy and spiritual laws, He gave them with great POWER, and, unlike the rest of the covenant, wrote them with His

Notice the setting in Exodus 19. God commanded the people to clean themselves up and be ready against the third day when He would come down to them (verses 10-11). “And it came to pass on the third day in the morning, that there were THUNDERS and LIGHTNINGS, and a thick CLOUD upon the mount. And the voice of the trumpet, exceeding loud; so that all of the people that were in the camp TREMBLED” (verse 16).

God was here showing His power as the CREATOR of this earth as He began to speak with His own voice the Ten Commandments! As the Creator Him- self descended upon Mount Sinai in His glory, “The smoke thereof ascended as the smoke of a furnace, and the whole mount QUAKED greatly’’ (verse 18).

In this setting of great glory, and majesty, and POWER, God spoke the Ten Commandments to the people who were trembling in awe below the mountain. His voice must have literally shaken these people with His power as it BOOMBD across the land like the sound of thunder (Psalm 104:7 ) .

OWN HAND.

The First Commandment

And so God began speaking the Ten Commandments-revealing to His people the LAWS of life which bring success and hUppineJJ and peace with God and with man. In this day of human reason, of agnosticism, and of creeping social- ism, it is important to notice that the Almighty spoke first NOT about the “brotherhood of man,” but about obedience and worship to Go-the Creator and Ruler of heaven and ear th-and the personal God of those who serue and obey Him!

“And God spoke all these words, saying, I am the T.ord thy God, which have brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. Thou shalt have no other gods before me” (Exodus

That is the first, and as we shall later 20~1-3) .

February, 1960 The PLAIN TRUTH

see, GREATEST commandment . Stady the tremendous POWER was qui tc cvidcntly Thc word “Lord” comes from the wording of this commandment carefully the great Creator of heaven and earth. Hebrew “Yaweh” which, it i~ inzportultt -and meditate on it as David did! In His very manner of appearance, He t o realbe, NO ONE knows how to pro-

“I a m the Lord thy God,” is a more had demonstrated H i s power as Creator nounce or spell since the vowels were revealing phrase than at first meets the by sending forth the thunderings and not preserved in the Hebrew text. But eye. lightnings and literally SHAKING Mount the meaning of the word is the “Eternal,”

The “I” who was speaking with such Sinai as if it were a wet dishrag! or the “Self-existent One,” or the “Ever-

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KCBX-Springfield, Mo-1260 on dial-l0:30 a.m. Sunday; 6 : i5 a m . Mon. thru Sat.

WEW-St. Louis, Mu.-?70 on dial -1:OO p m . , Sun.-i2:30 p.m. Mon. thru Sat.

“The WORLD TOMORROW” WKYB-Paducah, Ky.-570 on dial

-12:00 noon, Sun. thru Sat. WKYR-Keyser, W. Va.-1270 on

dial-5 :30 a.m., daily. KCPX-Salt Lake City, Utah-1320

on dial-7 :00 p.m. nightly. KIDO-Boise, I d a h o 4 3 0 on dial-

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dial-7 :00 pm. every night. WNAX-Yankton, S. Dak.-570 on

dial-8 :00 p.m. nightly.

HEARD ON PACIFIC COAST A N D ALASKA

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KAHM-Fresno-1430 on d i a l 4 : 3 O p.m. daily.

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KiliGN-Eugene-590 on dial-7 :00 p.m. Sun. thru Fri.

KFQII-Anchorage, Alaska-730 on dial--!,:00 p m . , nightly.

TO EUROPE

HAIIIO LUXEMBOURG-208 metres. Mondays and Tues- days: 2 3 : W G.M.T. (in Eng- lish). Sun., 6:05 M.E.T. (in Gerrnan).

6035 kc. and 7140 kc.; 6:05 a.m. M.E.T. Sat. (in Russian) atid Fri. ( in English).

RADIO MONTE CARLO-I466 kc.;

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MOZAMBIQUE 10:OO p.m., Saturdays; 10:30 p m . , Mondays and Tuesdays.

(Belgian Congo)-OQ~AI)-

SIERRE LEONE RROAIICASTING SERVICE - Sun. and Tues.

l ~ A l > l O ELIZABETHVILLE

7150 kc., 9 : 3 0 p.m. Fridays.

TO ASIA RADIO GOA-60 metre band, 9:30

p.m. Mon.; 9 : O O p.m. Fri. R A D I O RANGKOK-HSIJS-4878

kc. Monday thru Friday: 10:35-11:05 p.m.

1190 kc., 1 8 ; O O T.S.T., Wed. and Fri.

kc. Sundays: 12:OO noon. (Time in Japanese to be announced.)

ALTO BROADCASTING SYSTEM -PHILIPPINE ISLANDS

9:00 p.m. Sundays-DZAQ, Ma- nila-630 kc. ; DZRI, Dagupan City-1040 kc.; DZRB, Naga City-1060 kc.; DXMC, Davao City-900 kc.

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p.m.; Sat., 10:15 p.m. 2GF-Grafton-Sun., 9 :30 p.m. ;

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pm. ; Thurs., 4:15 p.m. 4CA-Cairns-Sun. to Fri., 10:00

p.rf1. 4KQ-Br1tbane-Sun., 10:30 p.m. 4TO-Townsville-Mon. to Sat.,

4WK-Warwick-Mon. to Sat., 9 : O O

(,BY-Bridgetown-Sun., 10:30 p.m. (,IX-Perth-Sun., 10:00 p.m. 6MI)-Merredin-.Sun., 10:30 p.m. hWB-Katanning-Sun., 10 :30 p.m. -HT-Hobart-Wed., 10:25 p.m.

10:15 p.m.

a.m.

~ _ _ TO LATIN AMERICA

In Engli5h- RADIO AMERICA-Lima, Peru-

6:oo p.m. Saturdays-1010 kc. HOC21, Panama City-1 115 kc. HP5A, Panama City-1 1170 kc. HOK, Colon, Panama-640 kc. HPSK, Colon, Panama-6005 kc.

In Spanish- RADIO LA CRONICA-Lima, Peru

-7 :00-7 : 15 P.M. Sundays RADIO COMUNEROS - Asuncion,

Paraguay - 8:00-8:15 P.M., Sundays

R A D I O SPORT - CXA19 - Muntr- video, Uruguay - 4:00.4:15 P.M., Sundays

7 :OO p.ni., Sundays-

living One.” Thus, God wab sliuwing that the ONE who was speaking was the ETERNAL GOD who has always existed!

The true God then mentions thc fact that it was He who had brought them out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. These Israelites had just EXPERIENCED that tremendous deliverance and power which God had shown in saving them out of national slavery!

They had SEEN God send supernatural plagues on all the land of Egypt. They had SEEN Him strike dead the first-born throughout that land as His final punishment! They had SEEN the waters of the Red Sea towering many stories above them as a “wall” on either side (Exodus 14:22) as God brought them through this mighty sea to the other side by a wpernatural miracle!

They had SEEN and HEARD and FELT His majesty and POWER as He appeared to them on Mount Sinai to speak these very words!

Yes, they had exflerienced this divine, supernatural deliverance. They were now FREE from day after day, month after month, year after year of slavery-of persecution--of punishment, as bond- men without rights in Egypt. They had seen the true God’s MIGHT manifested above the gods of Egypt and the gods of the other heathen nations round about. Now they knew for certain that the God of Moses really WAS GOD!

“Thou shalt have no other gods before me,” they were commanded. They had now seen it demonstrated that there was no appeal to a higher God, to any greater wisdom, understanding, mercy, glory, or POWER!

One thing to note is that the Hebrew word translated “before” can also mean “in place of.” The Israelites, though carnal, should have known not to put anything an place o f the true GOD. As the Source of all life, the Giver of life and breath, the Creator and Ruler of all, Almighty God should be served arid worshipped and obeyed above EVERY-

THING in heaven or on earth! THIS IS THE LESSON THAT ALL THE

NATIONS AND PEOPLES OF THIS EARTH NEED DESPERATELY TO LEARN!

If we would really serve and OBEY the God of the Bible, then all troubles and wars would come to a screeching halt!


But as nations and as individuals, we put not one but MANY “gods” before the true God of creation-the God revealed in your Bible!

We need to repent of this and to quit serving FALSE GODS!

The First Commandment and YOU

Now that we have seen the power and might with which God revealed Himself when He spoke the Ten Commandments from Mount Sinai, let us see how each one of them-beginning with the first commandment, applies to you, personally. For if you make any claim to being a Christian, remember that Jesus Christ, the founder of Christianity, said that you shall live by EVERY word of God (Matt. 4 : 4 ) . And certainly-through God’s help-you must walk according to the commandments of Almighty God if you would enter into eternal life (Matt. 19:17).

How, then, does the first commandment apply to YOU?

“I am the Eternal thy God,” the Cre- ator states. Is the God of creation, the God of Israel, the God of the Bible, really your God whom you serve and obey? Or have you conjured up your own FALSE “god” or “gods”? Or are you falsely wordipping according to the “traditions of men,” which Jesus said would cause you to worship God in vain? (Mark 7: 7 ) .

These are things you need to consider! To the Christian, God says that He

is the One who has “brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage.” Throughout the Bible, Egypt is used as a type of SIN. All uncon- verted men are held in slavery to the organized, paganized system of this world, and to their own PerSondl lusts.

When a person is really converted, God brings him OUT of that bondage- and he comes out willingly and gladly!

You need to examine whether or not YOU have ever really come out from the false traditions and ways of this world and have also repented of your own personal lusts and sins.

God commands: “Thou shalt have no other gods before me.” Have you put something else in PLACE of God? Is your time, your interest, your seruice taken up more with something other than the true God? What IDOL have you

placed between yourself and the true God-studying His word, and living by it?

God says. “The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament show- eth his handiwork” (Psalm 19: 1 ). Throughout its pages, the Bible declares that God is the real CREATOR of this earth and of the universe. He is the One who gives life and breath to all creatures (Gen. 1 ).

Do you honestly think of and worship God as your Creator and the One who gives you every breath of air you breathe? You should, for that is part of worshipping the true God and having no false gods before Him!

The GREATEST deception of all today is not communism or atheism, but the false, pagan doctrine of evolution! Evo- lution is an attempt to explain the creation without the Creator. It DENIES the true God and His very nature and office! It is the very basis of most of this world’s “education”! But the wisdom of this world is FOOLISHNESS with God ( I Cor. 1:20).

In the Bible, God is revealed not only as the Creator, but the One who sustains and who rules His c rea t ion4 tewen- iiig in the affairs of His servants to guide and to bless and to deliver them.

Learn Which Are God’s Prerogatives David said: “The Lord is my rock,

and my fortress, and my deliverer; my God, my strength, in whom I will trust; my buckler, and the horn of. my salvation, and my high tower” (Psalm 18: 2 ) . Literally hundreds of times, David called upon God to intervene and DELIVER HIM from some trouble or calamity.

Do you go to God with these things, or do you trust in your own strength and in purely human devices?

In addition to being Creator, Ruler, and Delivercr, God is also our Healer. In Exodus 15:26, God states: “I am the Lord that healeth thee.”

David was inspired to write: “Bless the Lord, 0 my soul, and forget not all his benefits: who forgiveth all thine iniquities; who HBALETH all thy dir- eases” ( Psalm 103 : 2 -3 ) .

It is God’s prerogative to heal! Very few professing Christians today really go to God for healing when they are


The Autobiography of Herbert W. Armstrong

Back in the newspaper business for 15 long, almost sleepless months, this 25th installment recounts unusual experiences, solving an “unsolvable” problem, with “inside facts” about

retailing and advertising.

ETTING back into the newspaper business was a tragic mistake. G A too dear price now had to be

paid to learn an important lesson: when God once truly calls a man into His ministry, he must “keep at it, in season and out of season” (I1 Tim. 4: 2 ) .

And if he attempts, like Jonah, to run away from the mission, God will first teach him a stern lesson and then yank him back to perform what God called him to perform!

Into Advertising Again

But it was in the descending depths of the great depression. By November, 1931-still the same year in which I was ordained-the Oregon Conference treasury had run low. Elder Roy Dailey and I had been laid of f -our $20 per week salaries stopped. Elder R. L. Tay- lor had been kept on, allowing him to try to build a congregation to fill the unfinished new church building in Eugene.

But I had not worried over the loss of financial income. I had come to have faith! I had prayed and asked God to supply the financial need, and in serene confidence awaited the answer. But though I had acquired faith, I had not yet acquired balancing wisdom! My former newspaper associate, Samuel T. Hopkins, had suddenly appeared, beg- ging me to come to Astoria, Oregon, to pull his newly founded Morning Mes- senger out of the jaws of impending failure. I gullibly accepted this as God’s answer.

I paid dearly during the next 15 months to learn that this was not God’s answer to my prayer, but God’s TEST! I should have rejected Sam Hopkins’ desperate request, because it took me out of the ministry.

Sam Hopkins - “Hoppy,” everyone

called him-had started a new morning newspaper, associated with an Astoria physician and the superintendent of a salmon cannery. The doctor had no cash capital to invest, and even less prestige to contribute. Why he had been taken in as one of the three owners, or how he got in, I never learned. The salmon cannery superintendent had a little pri- vate money. But he would never put any of it into the business except as a last-ditch prevention of bankruptcy. Investing it in this manner did far more harm than good. It always came too little and too late.

Mr. Hopkins had appealed to me, in desperation, to come to Astoria as advertising manager and save their new enterprise. He had insisted that I was the only man he knew who possessed the specialized advertising training and experience to do the job. It did seem to me, at the time, to be God’s answer to our financial need. Still I knew I had been called to the ministry-but I reasoned it might be right to take this Astoria job temporarily. So I agreed to take the job for the one month of December, only. I fully expected to return to the ministry by the first of Jan- uary, 1932.

Caught in a Trap

Arriving in Astoria, I made a dis- illusioning discovery. Immediately I made preliminary get-acquainted calls on the leading merchants. It was then, for the first timc, that I learned the true state of affairs. It was far worse than Mr. Hopkins had told me. Every merchant told me our situation was hopeless. W e faced a predicament unprecedented, as far as I know, in the newspaper business.

It called for desperate and unprecedented measures for solution. And

before I realized it, I was caught in a trap of circumstances from which I was unable to extricate myself for fifteen months.

This was the unheard-of situation: Only months before, the opposition newspaper had purchased the old established morning paper, The Astorim, for $50,000. But the opposition publisher had also signed up all local stores which advertised on 5-year contracts in which they agreed not to advertise in any other Astoria English-language paper. (There was, in Astoria, a Finnish language daily paper not harmed by the contracts.)

Apparently this publisher and the merchants had assumed the rather general concept of those in smaller cities, viewing advertising in terms of obliga- tory “support” of the newspaper, rather than as an effective means of selling goods, lowering costs, and increasing profits. This publisher offered to save the merchants from having to “support” two newspapers by buying out and thus eliminating his competitor-provided the merchants would sign up on these five-year contracts. Every store in town which was a regular advertiser, with the single exception of the J. C. Penney store, had signed!

“But,” I protested, “that kind of contract is illegal! It is in restraint of trade! ”

“We know that,” came the answer, “but there is more to it than mere legality. You just don’t know your opposition publisher and his tactics. Maybe you don’t realize what he could do to us in retaliation, if we broke our contracts. He could print things harmful to us, slanting the news so as to reflect against us, or assassinate our character, right on the front page. I for one am afraid he really would do it-and I think the other merchants are as afraid of it as I am. W e


basis of a certain price per column inch, or per page. The rate is set according to volume and class of circulation, being influenced also by competition and general circumstances.

So now let me give you a few “inside facts” not known by most of the general public. A full page of advertising space in one of the large mass-circulation magazines in the United States costs from $3,000 up to $40,000 and more.

“Do you mean for just one time?’ many will ask, incredulously.

Yes, for one page in just one issue. But that is not expensive. It is, actually, one of the least costly ways to get a message to people!

The magazine which charges around $3,000 per page has a circulation of one million copies, often actually read by two or three million people! Now suppose you tried to get just a very brief message to one million homes of people by a little inexpensive post card. You would pay 3c each for government postal cards in the United States. British readers and those of other countries can figure it according to your own postal rates. This may surprise you, but you would have to pay $30,000 for the blank cards. You probably never realized that before. Then figure what you would pay to have your message printed one mil- !ion times on a million cards. Add the cost of hiring enough people to write names and addresses of one million people on the cards. I think you will decide it would be much less costly to pay only $3,000 for a whole page of space, as large as this page in The Plain Trclth, which $3,000 inclades the cost of the paper, of the printing, of the postage for mailing, and of the stamping on of the names and addresses. And, more than this, in every home where your message is received, the recipient rrsked for the magazine to come, and (except for The Plain Truth) actually paid to receive it. If you were to spend about $45,000 to print and mail out a million post-cards, they would be un- invited, and probably unwanted in most homes.

So you see, magazine and newspaper advertising is not expensive.

You probably have heard that advertising forces up the price of a com-


just won’t take the chance! ” A few days later I learned what he

meant. Our news editor handed me a clipping from the teletype. It was a dis- patch from Oregon City, Oregon, re- porting an automobile accident involving one of Astoria’s leading merchants. It exposed also the fact he was having a clandestine “affair” with an attractive woman, who was with him in his car. The press service had sent it along as a nice “juicy scandal” for Astoria papers.

But The Messenger did not print it. Neither did the opposition. I took the teletype strip personally to the merchant involved. His face reddened.

“Thanks! ” he exclaimed in extreme embarrassment. “Man! This could have ruined me if you had printed it! It would have broken up my home, and ruined my business. You see, Mr. Arm- strong, this sort of thing is the reason none of the merchants dares try to break his contract with your competitor by advertising with you.”

Yes, I understood, now, only too well! Our plight was utterly frustrating.

Our newspaper was new. The opposition paper was old, well established. The evening paper had the dominant circulation. It was well financed. The morning Messenger, on the other hand, did not have the capital to do those things necessary to build a better paper, or, for that matter, even to keep it on its wabbly feet. And every retail advertiser in town, save one, actually by agreement and by fear was prohibited from advertising with us.

I t Means Something to YOU !

I am going to relate what was done in this predicament, because the experience has a direct connection with the lives of all my readers.

YOU probably shall never run into this specific Rind of problem. But nearly all people do, more than once in a lifetime, find themselves in some frustrating, apparently hopelcss troublc.

One of the seven basic laws of success in life is resozlrcefdness. Resource- fulness is the ability and determination to find a way to solve every problem, trouble or obstacle. It accepts and acts on the old adage: “where there’s a will, there’s a way!” Another of the seven principles of success is endurance. Nine

out of ten who have every other in- gredient for success finally give up and quit, when just a little more “stick-to- it-iveness” mixed with resourcefulness would have turned apparent hopeless defeat into glorious success. Of course there is a time to get out and leave whatever you are in: if it is wrong, or if it really is totally dead. But usually it only appears dead.

The seventh and most important rule of success is contact with God, and the guidance, wisdom, and help that can be received from Him.

In this desperate situation, I did in- voke these three recourses. I do believe I had made a costly mistake in suppos- ing this call to the newspaper business in Astoria came from God. Yet, once in it, I did call on God for guidance and help. And a way was found to break those five year contracts, and fill our newspaper with advertising! I think the account of how it was done may be interesting, informative, and-if you will apply the principles to your own problems-helpful.

“Inside Facts” About Advertising

This unprecedented situation, I knew, called for a totally unprecedented solution. Most people are absolutely boclnd by precedent. They are slaves of habit. They are conformists. They must do just what society does-the way society does it. I have never been afraid to break precedent, or to go counter to established procedures, if such action is both right and necessary.

Advertising space in newspapers and iiiagazines had always been sold on thc

THE PLAIN TRUTH HAS WHY NO SUBSCRIPTION PRICE . . --- So many ask: “How can you publish a magazine,

without subscription price, and without advertising?” The answer is simple. The GOSPEL must go to

the whole world, and it must go FREE. It must n?! be sold like merchandise. “Freely ye have received Jesus said to His discip!es whom He was sending ;o proclaim the Gospel, “freely GIVE.” Without money and without price, is God’s way. We proclaim a FREE salvation. Therefore, we cannot put a PRICE upon The PLAIN TRUTH.

We have been called of God to conduct this wnrk. It is not our work, but God’s. We have set out to conduct God’s work God’s way. We rely. in FAITH, upon God’s promises to supply every need.

God’s way is the way of LOVE-and that is the way of givmg, not getting. God expects every t ~ e child of Hi, iv GIVE of cichcs and offerings that His work may go FREE-that His true ministers may GIVE the precious Gospel to others. We simply rpLJST GOD to lay it on the minds and hearts of His people to 81ve of their tithes and offerings that we may be enabled to GIVE the good things of God’s Word to the hundreds of thousands who hear the Message over the air, and the scores of thousands who read The PLAIN TRUTH.

Many times our faith has been severely tried. but God has never failed us. We must not fail HIM!

by Basil Wolverton

CHAPTER SIXTEEN

MOSES AND AARON MEET PHARAOH

OSES and Aaron had just finished speaking. Most of the Israelites believed these things. Some shook their heads in doubt. There were a few who felt that Moses and Aaron were trying to push themselves into being Israelite leaders. It was from these that shouts of protest came.

It’s easy for you to say that God sent you!” one of them yelled. “But can you prove

“We want to get out of Egypt!” another shouted, “but we want to choose our

Encouraged by those who spoke out, other doubters began to voice their opinions,

it?”

own leaders-not just any one who comes along!”

whereupon Aaron held up his arms and called for silence.

God Performs Miracles Through Moses

“Our God knew there would be those of you who would fail to recognize His servants,” Aaron told them. “God therefore has given Moses the power to perform miracles. That should leave no doubts that Moses is the one to go before Pharaoh and demand that our people be freed from slavery!”

A murmur arose from the group of elders as Moses stepped before them, holding his shepherd’s rod at arm’s length above his head. Then he tossed it out between himself and the onlookers. The instant it touched the ground, it turned into a long snake, wriggling toward the staring elders. There was a sudden s h a i n g of feet and a few grunts of alarm as those at close range struggled to retreat. Understanding the elders’ alarm, Moses stepped forward and seized the snake by its tad. To the astonish-


ment of all, except Aaron, it became a shepherd’s rod in Moses’ hand. Again the elders murmured among themselves, but this time there was a differ-

ent note in their voices. Now there was silence as Moses held up his right hand for all to see. He put it

inside his jacket for a few seconds, then withdrew it to show a white, leprous, decayed hand that brought a chorus of cries of horror from the crowd. A moment later, when

Moses held up his hand for the elders to see that it was only a white, decayed stub.

Moses had put his hand back into his jacket and withdrew it a second time, the crowd was amazed to see that the hand was normal again.

“No man could do such things without the power of our God,” some of rhe elders said in low voices.

“I have seen Pharaoh’s magicians do greater wonders than those,” some one spoke up. “Perhaps this man is only a clever magician without any power from God.”

At a sign from Aaron, two husky men brought a large jar of water, and set it

“As you people can see,” Aaron announced, “this jar contains water. It has just been brought here from the Nile. I invite all who are interested to step up here to

the jar and look at and taste this water.”

down before the crowd.

The first one to srep forward and examine the water was the man who had just spoken of Moses as possibly being only a clever magician. A few others followed him.

The Doubters Convinced

“Tip the jar over,” Aaron told the men who had brought it. They obeyed, and as the many gallons of water surged forth across the ground, Moses held his rod over it.


Instantly the water turned red. Those who stood close by looked down to find their sandals and feet splotched with the thick, scarlet liquid!

“Blood!” someone cried. “The water has turned to blood!” The loud murmur from the crowd of elders gradually died down until there was

complete silence. Then someone began to speak out in a clear voice and thank God for sending Moses to lead the Israelites out of their misery. The others bowed their heads and joined silently in the prayer. (Exodus 4:29-31.)

As for Moses and Aaron, they thanked God for taking the troublesome doubts out of the minds of the elders.

Not long after that, Moses and Aaron and many of the elders of Israel crossed the Nile river and went south to the Egyptian capital city of Memphis to appear before the king.

It wasn’t a simple matter to get into the royal court and talk to Pharaoh. But Moses had been raised in the royal palace. He knew just what should be done, and it wasn’t long before the group of Israelites was in the presence of the king.

“For what reason are these Israelites before me?” Pharaoh demanded of his aides. “They are here to ask a favor of you,” was the answer. “I owe no favors to the Israelites,” Pharaoh snapped. “But let them ask, so that I

will have the opportunity to refuse them!“

king. At a motion from an aide, Aaron stepped forward from his group to address the

“We come in the name of the God of Israel,” Aaron declared. “He has told us to come to you and tell you to let our people go out into the desert to worship Him.”

There was a sudden, cold silence in the court following Aaron’s words. It was broken by faint titters from several Egyptian women who were Pharaoh‘s guests for the day. Pharaoh leaned forward and frowned curiously down upon Aaron.

“Who is this God of Israel who attempts to tell me what to do?” he asked. “I don’t know who he is or anything about him. But whoever he is, I am not going to let the Israelites leave Egypt!” (Exodus 5 : 2.)

“We must do as our God tells us,” Aaron explained. “All we ask is that our people be allowed to go three days’ journey into the desert. There we are to make sacrifices to our God. If we don’t obey Him in this matter, He may bring horrible punishment to us through disease or by some enemy attack.” (Verse 3.)

Moses had by this time stepped up beside Aaron. He held his shepherd’s rod in his hand, waiting for the opportuhity to use it. Pharaoh stared coldly down at the two.


“Don’t think I don’t know that you two are stirring up your people into trying to escape from Egypt!” he growled, shaking a forefinger warningly at them. “Now leave this court. Get back to whatever you’re supposed to be doing, and stop trying to talk your people into doing less work for me!”

Armed guards quickly stepped forth to escort Moses and Aaron and the elders toward the doors. Forced out of the court, there was no opportunity to display their miracles before the king. Furthermore, it looked as though there would never be another chance to come before Pharaoh. Moses was disappointed and discouraged.

Pharaoh Oppresses the People

The more the king thought about being told to let the Israelites go, the angrier he became. Before the day was over he gave an order to be sent to all Egyptian taskmasters, the foremen of the Israelite labor gangs. The order also went to the Israelite officers who helped the taskmasters keep the gangs working.

Here is what the order said: “From now on, all Israelites employed in making bricks must furnish the straw

that goes into the making of bricks. At the same time, they must produce as many bricks as they have been making with straw furnished by the Egyptians. Israelites laboring at other tasks must be given more work to do. I, Pharaoh, demand these things because the Israelites have been idle, and have even been asking for time off on the seventh day of each week to worship their God.” (Exodus 5 :6-9.)

The Israelite labor gangs were working at many things, including digging irriga- tion canals, bricking up the banks of the Nile in various areas, building walls, erecting pyramids and making bricks. Whatever they were doing, this order from Pharaoh increased their labors and their misery.

Probably those who made bricks were most affected by this cruel ruling. As a result, they had to work longer than usual to go through the hay and grain fields to gather up the straws that were left after the harvests. When no more straw could be found, they gathered stubble to help hold the brick soil together.

As time went on, the Israelite brick-makers had to go farther and farther away to gather plant stalks and stubble, and thus there was less and less time for them to produce the amount of bricks they had made when straw was brought to them. (Verses

When the taskmasters saw that the Israelites were gradually falling behind in what was expected of them, they feared that Pharaoh would be angry with them, the taskmasters. Therefore they severely beat the Israelite officers, and hoped that in turn the officers would beat their people into working harder. (Verse 14.)

10- 13.)


“You shall see what I will do to Pharaoh,” God told Moses. “After I deal with him, he will be anxious to be rid of Israel. Remember, I am God Almighty, your Cre- ator and the One who made a promise to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. I know the suf- ferings of your people, and I have not forgotten my promises. Tell them that I-the Eternal-will bring great things to pass to rescue them from Egypt. When they see these things take place, they will have no doubts that I am their God. Then I shall give them the land they were promised.” (Exodus 6: 6-7.)

Encouraged by hearing God repeat His promises, Moses sent word to the slaving Israelites of the things God had told him. He hoped this would brace up the spirits of the overworked people. But they were in such a miserable, hopeless state that they paid no attention to what Moses had to say. (Verse 9.)

Not long after that, God told Moses to go again to Pharaoh and tell him to let the Israelites leave Egypt.

“But if my people aren’t interested in even trying to escape, what good will it do to go to Pharaoh again?” Moses argued.

“Must I remind you again that I am your Creator?” God asked. “As your Maker, I am telling you and Aaron to do this thing! I have given you the power to do great things before Pharaoh, and to your brother I have given the ability to speak well. Even so, I shall allow Pharaoh to remain stubborn in his desire to keep the Israelites as slaves. Then, when I bring terrible things upon Egypt, so that my people will be rescued, this idol-worshipping nation will surely come to know that your God is the only God.” (Verses 10 to 13.)

Pharaoh Again !

Moses and Aaron obeyed, and went again to Pharaoh’s court. When the king was told that they had come again to see him, he was a little amused.

“Show them in,” he ordered his court officers. “It should be interesting to hear what these two upstart Israelites have to say to me this time.”

As soon as Moses and Aaron were before the king, Aaron again asked him to allow the Israelites to leave Egypt.

“How do I know that you two have been sent by your God to demand this thing?” Pharaoh asked. “If you’re anything more than just the troublemakers I think you are, you should be able to show some kind of sign to prove the power of this God of yours.”

Hoping to amuse his guests who were seated in the court, Pharaoh settled back in his massive chair, prepared to enjoy the discomfort he intended to cause Moses and Aaron by his request for them to prove themselves to be true messengers from God.

Moses glanced around at the over-curious faces of the guests, servants and guards.


Some of them were grinning, as though ex- pecting Moses and Aaron to turn and hurriedly leave in embarrassment.

“Throw your rod on the floor,” Moses said to Aaron.

The rod Aaron held was the same one Moscs had carried when God had first spoken to him. Aaron held it high for all to see, then tossed it forward on the wide, richly carpeted expanse of floor in front of the king’s chair.

Onlookers could see and hear the rod thud to the carpet. For a moment they wondered why Aaron had done this. Did it mean that Moses and Aaron were giving up trying to get Pharaoh to let the Israel- ites leave Egypt? Guards grasped their weapons more firmly, alert to any possible surprise action by the two Israelites.

Then a surprise did take place. Grins faded from the faces of the onlookers. They were replaced by expressions of alarm and even horror. Pharaoh’s bearded chin dropped a little. His narrowed eyes snapped

open, and he lurched back a bit in his chair. Even the husky guards stiffened at sight of the thing on the floor. There were even a few stifled screams from women who were present.

The rod had turned into a large, coil- ing hissing snake! (Ex. 7:8-10.)

Pharaoh quickly straightened up into a more kingly posture, and managed to gaze with some boredom at the repulsive serpent as he beckoned to one of his aides.

“Call in my magicians--quickly! ” he snapped in a low tone.

Moses and Aaron obeyed God, and went for the second time to Pharaoh‘s palace.


Minutes dragged by as people in the court waited in uneasy silence, staring at the coiled, tongue-darting snake. As for Moses and Aaron, they stood patiently waiting for something to happen. Finally the aide came in to whisper something into Pharaoh’s ear.

Egyptian Magicians Appear

“That was a very interesting and exciting display,” the king said to Moses and Aaron. “Now let us see if my wise men can show as much ability and power as your God has shown through you.”

At a sign from Pharaoh, the court musicians struck up a sort of fanfare on their horns, drums and stringed instru- ments. Curtains parted at one side of the huge room, and out strode several well. robed men. Each carried what appeared to be a shepherd’s rod. They lined up before the king, each holding his rod upward at arm’s length.

“Throw your rods on the floor!” Pharaoh commanded.

The magicians obeyed, and tossed their rods down on the carpet between the king and the snake that had come from Aaron’s rod. Again there were gasps of horror. A babble of excited voices came

from the onlookers. Every rod had become a live snake! In spite of so many reptiles crawling

around before him, Pharaoh leaned back and smiled triumphantly at Moses and Aaron. (Verse 11.)

“I don’t think,” he told them, “that

your God can do any more than our gods Pharaoh’s bearded chin dropped at sight of the thina on the floor. can do.” -


Handclapping and shouts of praise for Pharaoh and his magicians came from the onlookers. Moses and Aaron could only stand in discomfort before all. But perhaps they knew that it was an ancient trick to press certain nerve centers in snakes, so that they would become as rigid and straight as sticks, only to be brought back into action by the pressing of certain areas to relieve the rigidness caused by nerve control. Thus it could have been that the so-called rods of the magicians were actually snakes to begin wirh. And Moses and Aaron probably knew that some magicians and sorcerers could show amazing feats because they were helped in their tricks by Satan’s demons- and demons sometimes have the power to do some astounding things.

But however Pharaoh’s magicians worked their “magic,” they caused the miracle by God to look like only a trick that could be performed by most any clever magician.

Discouraged and disappointed, Moses nodded to Aaron to pick up the serpent that had come from their rod. Aaron stepped forward to seize the snake by its tail, but at that moment it slithered quickly away toward the other snakes.

What happened then caused the babble of voices to fade away. There were a few gasps of astonishment. Pharaoh’s grin dissolved, its place abruptly taken by an

expression of utter disbelief. The snake from Aaron’s rod was darting around and gulping down all of

the magicians’ snakes! (Verse 12.) This was too much for some of the people in the court. They began moving to-

ward the doors. Even the magicians were shaken by what they saw, and they started to file out in defeat, shaking their heads in wonderment.

After all the snakes were swallowed, Aaron seized the devouring reptile by irs tail, and it became a rod in his hand. When Pharaoh saw this, he got to his feet and started to leave. Not to be put off so easily, Moses and Aaron moved quickly toward the king.

“We have shown you the sign you asked for,” Aaron called out. “It should be proof to you of our God’s power. Now will you let our people go?”

The king of Egypt turned to stare coldly at the two Israelites. His gaze shifted to that amazing rod in Aaron’s hand, and for a few seconds Pharaoh looked as though he would like to give in on the matter. But then a hard, stubborn expression moved over his face.

“I will not let them go!” he blurted, and strode from the court. (Ex. 7: 13.) There was nothing more Moses and Aaron could do. Guards cleared the room,

and the two unhappy Israelites returned to where they were staying several miles down and across the Nile river.

(To be continued next issue)

The PLAIN TRUTH Fehruary, 1960

The Great Commandment

(continued from page 8)

sick. Instead, they have learned to look up to and practically worship the “men in white” with their knives and drugs and pills.

Although there may be certain things that trained medical specialists can and should do without intervening with the natural workings of the body, the only real HEALING comes from God, who made the human body, and who can intervene and cut short any sickness or disease if He is asked in faith to do SO.

The constant teaching and example of Jesus Christ Himself throughout the four gospels was that God is Healer. But most professing Christians deny this God-and make a FALSE “god” out of medical science!

Another growing facet of our modern life which is an ABOMINATION to the true God is the wholesale turning away from prayer, flum Bible s~ucly and flonl reliance upon the true God in time of trouble, and instead turning to the new “science” of psychology and psychiatry for man-made “relief.” Even our own forefathers in Britain and America would have recognized this for the bla- tant IDOLATRY that it is!

Modern churchgoers turn to these men instead of to God’s ministers ONLY

because most of those very ministers have FAILED to bring them into living contact with the true God who laves and rules, and who blesses and delivers His children from every type of trial, trouble and calamity!

In Matthew 6:9, Jesus tells us-when we pray-to address God as our “Father.” Throughout the New Testa- ment, He is revealed as the One to whom we should go with ALL of our trials and problems. Like a human father, He watches over His children and blesses and protects them. He also chastens every son that He loves (Heb. 12:6).

From the beginning, God has been the ultimate Father of mankind. In cre- ating man, God said. “T.et 11s make man in o w image after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of

the sea . . .” (Gen. 1:26). Man was made in the physical image

of God-the outward form and shape of God. He was given certain responsibilities and prerogatives like God Himself has-given dominion or rule over all the creation on this earth. He was given certain limited powers to make or “create”-so to speak-new things that had never existed before in that exact form. In this limited way, he has some of the very abilities of God! For God plans and purposes that we shall ultimately be like Him-glorified as He is glorified! ( I John 3 :2) . Man is ultirriarrly to be born of the Spirit- made of spirit-COMPOSED of spirit (John 3 : 6 ) , He will be part of the spirit-born, ruling furitily of God.

God the Father is reproducing Him- stlf! He plans that those who overcome human naturc in this life and learn-- through the help of His indwelling Holy Spirit-to keep His perfect laws, shall be made like Him-BORN into His very family and kingdom!

Then, after this life of growing and overcoming, after this spiritual REBIRTH,

man will be able to exercise many of the prerogatives of God Himself! He will be qualified as an additional member of the ruling kingdom of God!

Yet, even in this, science and this “civilization” compete with God and therefore becomes a FALSE “god”!

Modern science is trying desperately to give man power FAR IN RXCRSS of his mental and spiritual capabilities for handling such forces! As President Eisenhower said in his first inaugural address: “Science seems ready to confer upon us as its final gift the power to erase human l i fe from this planet.” And now-realizing that what they have already done forebodes DESTRUCTION of this earth-scientists are working fever- ishly to invade the very heavens!

And, here on earth, our “civilization” continues its paganized teaching that M A N is the ultimate judge of what is right or wrong and puts man completely

in the place of GOD and His laws! Whether we realize it or not, this carnal attitude-this God-RE JECTING attitude -permeates every phase and facet of our civilization today!

What You SERVE Is Your “God”

Most people who just go to church once a week and take their religion for granted actually don’t really know what WORSHIP is. They think it is something you do once a week in church-not realizing that it affects every thought, and word and action EVERY day of your life!

In everything you think or say or do you either SERVE G o d - o r else you serve your own lusts and Satan the Devil!

The apostle Paul was inspired to explain this: “Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants t o OBEY, his servants ye are t o whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness?” (Rom. 6: 16).

There is no middle ground! You either delight in God and His law and serve and OBEY Him all day long-o r else you serve and obey your own LUSTS!

One key to this situation is how you use your time. For your t ime IS your life!

How much TIME do you actually put in each week studying and meditating on God’s word and law as David did? How much time do you spend in ear- nest, prevailing prayer to Almighty God -praying occasionally many hours at a TIME or all night as Jesus did? How much TIME do you spend in discussing the Bible with others, teaching it to your family, writing to others words of spiritual upbuilding as well as purely social intercourse?

It is true that most professing Chris- tians think of their religion as just OCCU-

pying a “corner” of their lives. But in all fairness and love we say that the day will come when you will realize that that type of religion is FALSE religion and false worship!

Most men think far more about pleas- ing their wives and families than they do ahour pleaqing and serving Almighty God. Very few indeed would actually be willing to forsake their family-if need be in order to serve and OBEY God.

A recent survey brought out the fact that the average American’s life is


wrapped iip in his family, his home and furnishings and his car. He is totally concerned with the material things and material people with which he has surrounded himself. W e don’t often think of it that way but it is a fact-and it can easily become a form of IDOLATRY!

Many are wrapped up in the ideas, customs, traditions and way o f life of their particular society or profession. More than anything, they want to CON-

FORM and be accepted by the “group”- their particular crowd of human individuals that they look up to. In nearly every case, of course, the ideas and prac- tices of this group are at total variance with the laws and ways of Almighty God and with living by His every word.

“Ye adulterers and adulteresses,” God says, “Know ye not that the friendship of this world is enmity with God? Who- soever therefore will be a friend of the world i s the ENEMY of G o d (James 4 : 4 ) . Many religious “independents” in actual fact make a “god” out of a pet religious idea or theory that they have concocted-AND WHICH THEY WILL

LIVES! Such people often have many points of truth because they have de- parted from the “rut” into which so many religious denominations have fallen, but they are so filled with spiritual p r d e and VANITY that they are totally unable to see the obvious and in many cases the ridiculous error into which they themselves have fallen!

They have made a veritable “god” out of their pet religious theory-and they serve that god zealously and unremit- tingly!

NOT GIVE UP TO SAVE THEIR ETERNAL

What Do YOU Lack? A young man who had kept-or

thotlght he had kept-all of God’s commandments came to Christ and was wondering what he yet could do to be worthy of eternal life (Matt. 19:16-22) .

But Jesus knew that he was a wealthy young man and that he put that wealth before or in place o f God-that he would SERVE that wealth before he would first serve God. So Christ told hi.n to go and sell his treasure and give to the poor, and come and be His disciple. “But when the young man heard that saying, he went away sorrowful; for he had great possessions” (verse 22 ) .

Like so many people, this young man thought he was keeping God’s commandments when actually he was BREAKING the first commandment hy putting something else in place of God and serving it first and above the true God! He was also breaking the commandment against covetousness, because he lusted after and coveted that wealth more than he worshipped the God who made it. And he was certainly making an IDOL out of his wealth and position, because Paul was inspired to say that covetousness “is idolatry” (Col. 3 : 5 ) .

Thus, this self-righteous young man was directly breaking THREE of the Ten Commandments because of putting another god before the true God!

In what is called the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus Christ showed how the peoples of this world seek after material things and wealth and position (Matt. 6 : 24-32 ) . Jesus commanded: “But seek ye FIRST the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things SHALL be added unto you’’ (verse 33 ) .

You are absolutely promised by Al- mighty God every material need and blessing if you will only seek FIRST

God’s way-and worship and OBEY

Him! In this hurried, confused, modern

age of luxury, gadgetry and wealth, this seems SO HARD to do! But it is a living law that WORKS!

You need to understand what is the most important thing in this entire life -in yotcr life! Do you know? Would you believe it if Jesus Christ said so?

What is the most important thing God commands YOU to do?

When Jesus Christ your Savior was asked this question, He answered: “Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment” (Matt. 22.37-38) . Then Jesus continued: “And the second is like unto it, thou shalt love thy neigh- bor as thyself. On thcsc two commandments hang ALL the law and the prophets” (verses 39-40) .

On these two commandments hangs the DESTINY of ALL nations and individuals! If they will OBEY these two commandments as they are magnified throughout the Bible they will be blessed! If not, they will be cursed and

will become wrotched in their own confusion and frustration!

As Jesus said, the very writings of the prophsts hang on whether or not nations obey or disobey God’s law. Every prophecy written against a nation shows that God foresaw that this nation would DISOBEY and turn away its eyes from His law and obedience to His commandments!

These are the living laws-like the law of gravity-that RULE the world in which you live!

Learn to Love and Worship God Above ALL Else

Jesus said the GREAT COMMAND- MENT is to love God with all of your heart and soul and mind. You are to worship and serve God with all of your BEING!

This is certainly a foreign concept to this confused modern world where men think of God as “way off’ somewhere and talk in sociological terms about the “brotherhood of man” while at the same time inventing greater weapons to DESTROY all life from off this planet!

Why should you love God? God is your Creator and MAKER! He

gives you every breath of air you breathe! God gave you every talent, every ability, every bit of strength and grace- fulness and good looks-EVERYTHING you have.

You should worship God because of the beauty and majesty and perfection of His creation-and because He has given yotc life and everything you have! Everything good and sweet or beautiful that you see in your husband or wife is only there because God PUT it there- and He has a lot more where that came

The reason why David was a man “after God’s own heart” is understood by reading the Psalms which he wrote. They are simply FILLED with praise and worship and adoration of Almighty God. “I will extol thee, my God, 0 King; and I will bless thy name forever and ever. Every day will I bless thee; and I will praise thy name forever and ever” (Psalm 145 : 1-2 ) . Read the rest of this Psalm and see how David wor- ships and praises God in an intimate and loving way.

True Christians ought to love God in

from!

a personal way because He first loved us and gave His Son to be the propitia- tion for our sins ( I John 4 : l O ) . One of the very perboils i r i the Godhead was willing to empty Himself of His divinity and come down into this world of sin and suffering to DIE one of the most torturous deaths a God-rejecting age could devise!

Doesn’t that command your respect, your worship, your LOVE?

You should love God because of His perfect and righteous and wonderful LAW-which teaches us the way to peace and happiness. That law reveals God’s nutare and character-is based on giving and serving, not on the selfish principle of getting, competition or greed. As Jesus-the personification of that law- stated: “It is more blessed to GIVE than to receive” (Acts 20:35).

Whenever you think or speak or hear of anything good or beautiful or wonderful, you should think of GOD! Re- member James’ inspired statement: “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning” (James 1:17).

Because you love Him, because you know His way is RIGHT, because you truly worship Him, you should MEDI- TATE on God’s law and on His word daily as David did. You should study your Bible regularly to live by EVERY

word of God. You should PRAY to God regdarly, with sincerity and with all your heart, as Jesus did-setting us an example.

Whenever you find that God commands you in His word to do something, you should immediately say: “Yes, Lord,” and not argue, “reason“ or evade the issue as so many falsely professing Christians do today.

Knowing that He made you and that your life really belongs t o Him, you should present your body a LIVING SAC- RIFICE as God tells you to do (Rom. 12: 1 ) . You should serve and OBEY God with all your being-with a willing bsar/-arid do all iri your power to pre- pare yourself for and to further the work of reaching others with the message of the soon-coming government of God to bring real PEACE finally to this earth.

Your attitude should always be that


of Jesus Christ, your example, when He was called upon to give His very life: “Not my will, but THINE, be done” (Luke 22:42).

This is what true worship really means! This is how to keep the first commandment, the GREAT commandment!

Next month, we will continue this vital series with an exposition of the second commandment. Be sure to save this series of articles, to study them with your Bible, and to worship the Eternal God in Spirit and in truth. Your happiness, your peace of mind, your very life depend upon it.

Seven Proofs God EXISTS! (continued from page 4)

serve even the fields, mountains, valleys, and various topographical features about you! Years ago, a man named John Powell, an early American explorer and geologist, observed the process of erosion from various streams and rivers, and was led to the conclusion that, given enough time, streams would wear down any land surface, no matter bow high it had been originally, to what he called the grand base level fixed by the level of the ocean surface.

This process of erosion is seen about you constantly. That is, that the higher and the steeper the mountains, the more rapid is the erosion, and gradually all high areas of the earth are being low- ered. The sea bottoms, river valleys and low areas are gradually becoming higher, so that eventually, given enough time, the earth would, should this process continue, become smoother and smoother.

This, while a totally different con- sideration from the disintegration of uranium, nevertheless serves to show the gradual “running down” of the earth.

Science has firmly established, then, there has been no past eternity of matter!

Matter must have at one time COME

INTO EXISTENCE! Since matter by its very nature has had no past eternity, it had to have been, a t one time, brought into existence!

Creation, then, the very existence of things, absolutely demands and requires a Creator! That which is made requires a Maker! That which is produced requires a Producer!

Matter, it has been firmly established, has been made-it did not just “happen” and has had no past eternity! Therefore, the third great proof is that the creation requires a great Creator!

Now for the next proof.

Proof Number Four

The One who is quoted in the first person as being God said, “Let the earth bring forth the living creature after his kind, cattle, and creeping thing, and beast of the earth after his kind, and it was so. And God made the beast of the earth after his kind, and cattle after their kind, and everything that creepeth upon the earth after his Rind, and God saw that it was good” (Gen. 1 : 24-25 ) .

Scientists have attempted to show the evolutionary pattern by “comparative embryology”; by a study of selective breeding, genetics, and various other as- pects of biology.

However, without taking the tremendous amount of space necessary to even faintly scratch the surface of such a broad subject, suffice it to say there is an absolute irrefutable, immutable, unchangeable LAW, which absolutely prohibits a jump from one kind to another kind! (See “After His Kind” by Nelson. )

There are hundreds of different ua- rieties within a certain species, and while there may be small, tiny dogs, such as the Mexican Chihuahua, and also great huge dogs such as the St. Bernard or the Great Dane, they are still dogs! They are not cats, nor horses, nor are they even beginning to show a gradual trend toward developing into another species/ They are all of the same kind.

Comparative Embryology tries to poiiit out that the beginning embryos of fish, polywogs, and humans look very much alike. This is absolutely true! But it proves absolutely nothing for the case of evolution, but does offer a STRONGER proof of the existence of


Gud! Scicnrists ale defied to attempt to make the embryo of a fish turn out to be a polliwog, a man, or anything other than a fish from thc exact smzc kind of fish which lay the egg in the first place!

Scientists have attempted to prove their evolutionary theories by “selective breeding” and studies in “mutations.”

These do not prove evolution! They prove, rather, the existence of absolute unchangeable LAWS governing the re- production of all animal and plant life, and that those laws function within certain limited bounds that cannot be transcended or broken!

While we are able to breed and culti- vate today n e w varieties within a great kind, they are still of the same KIND and not a new species of life!

Any farmer who labors in his fields, raising corn, wheat or other crops, knows some of the basic proofs of selective breeding.

Scientists working with guinea pigs or other animals in laboratories can arrange an absolute pattern of just how the genes and chromosomes are going to react in the interbreeding of certain animals according to their coloring and various characteristics.

T h e y are able t o tell in advance just exactly what the offspring are going to look like! Again, this does not prove anything except demonstrate the existence of an all-wise, all-powerful God who made these laws, and who also sustains them! The fact God said let the earth bring forth “after his kind,” and has been enforcing and sustaining that law ever since is the fourth major proof of the existence of God!

In attempting to array the skeletons of an orangutan, chimpanzee, ape, gorilla, and a man, evolutionists assure us there is a definite pattern showing all of these have come from one common ancestor!

This is an absolute fallacy! And again, this merely serves to show another clear proof of God! It does not prove an cvo- lutionary process, but it does prove, rather, if men were willing to look at the FACTS, similarity of DESIGN! It shows that the same “Architect” had the same general plan and design in mind! It shows functional similarity, NOT the evolution of one to the other.

This absolutely proves, not only the

cxistcncc of a Lawgivcr, but that thcrc is, alive, acting RIGHT NOW, a Great Sustainer of all that is!

These laws are upheld, wstdirted, KEPT in action! How? By the Szlstainer, who is GOD!

Proof Number Five

Look about you! You live in a highly complex, intricate and i f i t d e p e n d e n t world!

It is a world of GREAT DESIGN. You have never seen an ugly sunset!

You have never seen an ugly scene in the desert, in the mountains, at sea, or anywhere on the surface of this entire earth, unless it was a scene made ugly by man! All is in harmony.

Life, as we know it, is entirely interdependent upon other forms of life. Nothing lives or dies to itself.

The question to the evolutionist is: W h i c h “evolved” first, the corn or the bee? Did the bee evolve slowly for thousands, millions or billions of years independent of the corn stalks, the flowers and the pollens from growing things which are his life source?

Did the flowers, grasses, trees, and grains all “evolve” slowly and gradually over a period of millions or billions of years independent of the little bee, upon whom they must rely for their very con- tinuation of life?

These are totally znsurmountable, and unanswerable questions to the evolutionists! The old question, “Which came first, the chicken or the egg?” is a question which the evolutionist feels worthy only of disdain. Why? Simply because he cannot answer it!

It is better from his point of view, to merely scoff, make fun of and attempt to d i s m i ~ s such a question when he caw not answer it!

This total interdependency of all life forms - the tremendous design within this universe shows a common Beginner, one main Architect, one great Designer with an overall framcwork of a plan of creation into which all life forms fit.

Nothing lives or dies to itself. Each living thing, whether plant or animal, when it dies, supplies further life for other living things. Observe a forest. A tree grows, finally dies and falls, only to become part of the fallow forest floor, supplying life-giving elements for the

young trees around which it had sown in its lifetime!

This great universe, and the complex, intricate earth on which you live and draw breath, is a world of great design. It is a world of such complex and intricate design so as to take the very breath in beginning to investigate even the minutest part.

The cleavage properties of minerals, the wings of a bird or a fly, the beauty of a sunset, the facets of a quartz crystal, and above all, the marvelous, tremendous masterpiece of all design, t h e hllman body, all point out that for such intricate design, THERE HAD TO BE AN ETERNAL DESIGNER!

DESIGN in the universe proves the existence of a DESIGNER!

Proof Number Six

This sixth proof of the existence of an Almighty God is perhaps the most astounding of all!

It is fulfilled prophecy! About one full third of your Bible is

prophecy-and while most of that one- third pertains to our present day, there are many, many prophecies which have already been fulfilled, and which are presently BEING fulfilled!

God sent His prophets hundreds of years ago to such major cities as Babylon, Ekron, Ashdod, Askelon, Tyre and Sidon. These prophets-simple human beings who had been commissioned with a message - foretold the decay, fall and particular t ype of fate which was to befall each of these ancient cities!

And without fail, in every single in- stance, exactly at the time prescribed, all these things HAPPENED!

Since we have the technical details of the fulfillinent of many of these prophecies in booklet form and in order to save space, I invite you to write for Mt. Armstrong’s free booklet, “The PROOF

of t h e Bible!“ This attractively printed booklet will

give you the particular fulfillments of these many prophecies. It will show you by pictures exactly how these prophecies were fulfilled.

You will see with your own eyes, how the prophecies of God have come to pass exactly as He said!

The very fact that God is able to foretell the future, and briltg it t o pass,


Job, “For I KNOW that MY REDEEM- ER LIVETH, and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth” (Job 19:25).

ertheless, proofs! It’s about time people quit assuming-it’s about time they begin to really PROVE all things!

It’s about time YOU should say, with

is a great proof of His existence!

Proof Number Seven

This last proof is perhaps the greatest proof of all to Christians. It is the proof of answered prayer!

However, since the skeptics, atheists and doubters have never prayed, and hence have never had prayers answered, they continue to DOUBT!

In my father’s autobiography running serially in The PLAIN TRUTH magazine, he has shown many instances of the miraculous answer to prayer!

Or take George Mueller’s example. George Mueller is dead now, but he

probably was the greatest modern apostle of FAITH. He founded five great orphanages and other charitable institu- tions in Bristol, England. He started out, as FAITH always does, with a very small work, without any financial backing, and absolutely no means of support, except to get down on knees and send up a believing prayer to God.

For nearly seventy years George Mueller continued that great work, and it grew into a tremendous institution until it housed THOUSANDS. Every dime for feeding, clothing, sheltering, and schooling those thousands of orphans came in only one way-as a result of believing prayer.

Altogether he received more than a million four hundred thousand POUNDS

-that was about SEVEN MILLIONS DOL-

LARS-that was sent to him in answer to his prayers!

Real answered prayer is NOT the mere “working out of events” as a result of “concentration.” Many people today seem to assume prayer is merely an accomplishment as a result of “positive thinking” or a psychological adjust- ment!

This is a gross error! Real answered prayer is a direct,

divine, supernatural INTERVENTION, a completely MIRACULOUS intervention and direct answer from Almighty God! It is the result of being obedient to God’s laws, asking according to His will, and then BELIEVING, irt faith until the answer comes!

These seven, irrefutable, unchallenge- able PROOFS of the existcncc of Al- mighty God represent only the minutest beginning of the subject! They are, nev-

THE BIBLE ANSWERS

FROM OUR READERS I ”1 was baptized at age 1 1 by a minister of a large denomination, but t didn’t understand the true meaning of repentance until I began studying my Bible and hearing your broad- casts. Should I be baptized again?“

This is a vital question to many of you. Baptism is an important step in your spiritual life and it must be done properly-at the right time and in the right way-after true repentance! Un- fortunately, many people have not been properly immersed. Here’s how you can know if you have been properly baptized.

The key to this whole problem was given by the Apostle Peter on the Day of Pentecost when he said, “REPENT, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit” (Acts 2:38).

Notice that repentance COMES FIRST!

Baptism is second-AFTER repentance! You repent of SIN. And what is the

Bible definition of sin? “. . . Sin IS the transgression of the law” ( I John 3 : 4 ) . That is the Bible definition of sin- breaking God’s Law! To be really converted, you must REPENT of breaking God’s Law and believe that Jesus Christ paid the penalty of sin in your stead and is your personal Saviour.

Jesus said: “. . . Man shall not live by bread alone, but by EVERY word of God” (Luke 4 : 4 ) . You must repent of disobeying God’s Law-His Word- His RULE ovcr your life. This must come first. Then you need to be baptized by a complete immersion as an outward sign of your willingness to completely BURY your old self-and literally give your very l ife to God and to Jesus Christ

as your personal Saviour, High Priest, and Master.

But frankly, most people attending the churches of this world and having been “baptized” by them never really knew WHAT to repent of! This is especially true of young teen-agers. They didn’t know WHAT sin really is.

At the time of early youth, most young people sincerely intend to “do better” or to “follow their church.” But since they have not been taught what sin actually is they completely fail to realize how ROTTEN and SINFUL they have really been in God’s sight. They are usually only sorry for having disobeyed their conscience or their church.

They don’t really REPENT! They aren’t broken up about the wretched state of their lives and their own human VANITY and selfishneJJ which expresses itself constantly in all of us.

If you are wondering about your baptism, ask yourself WHY you were baptized in the first place. Were you baptized simply because many of the members of your family were baptized, and you felt looked down upon, or had that “left out” feeling? Did you stand in the water and go through the ordi- nance of baptism simply to “join” the group with whom you had been fellow- shipping? Were you baptized because you temporarily thought it was the “right thing to do?”

Such people don’t immediately begin to study and UNDERSTAND the Bible. They just continue to go along with the customs, the ways and the traditions of their friends and of this world. Their lives are not actually CHANGED. They


Tod a y ’s Re I i g i o us Doc t r i n es . . how did they begin * ?

Here is the fourth installment of the forthcoming surprising

N THE first three astounding articles of this series we learned that the teachings of Christ’s apostles were

cleverly chalzged by the secret introduc- tion of similar pagan customs. We traced these pagan customs back to their origin. W e found they commenced at the tower of Babel, over 4,000 years ago.

At Babel, Nimrod founded CIVILIZA-

TION, based on a false way of life- man’s rule without God (Genesis 11). After his death, his mother-wife Semi- ramis, for purposes of prestige and power, developed a false RELIGIOUS system which has deceived the world to this day! Knowing that the Savior was to come, she counterfeited Christ by pte- tending to be a virgin who miraculously conceived and brought forth the “son of God’ or “Savior.”

Using an illegitimate son for this purpose, she claimed that her dead hero husband (Nimrod) was miraculously reborn! From this original deception have stemmed the counterfeit customs that permeate the churches today-customs which you can find nowhere in the Bible.

I

Semiramis of Babylon Originated Counterfeits

As we have seen, Semiramis possessed the knowledge of true salvation. It was known because of Noah, the preacher of righteousness (I1 Peter 2 : 5 ) .

Queen Semiramis of ancient Babylon deified herself, and her son and dead husband, Nimrod, by introducing various types of images, titles and rituals (Rom. 1 : 2 1-23 ) . She circulated stories of actual or imagined events which had, or were supposed to have, occurred in their lives. The stories made them appear as liber- ators, heroes, emancipators and saviors d e l i v e r i n g men from the rule of God.

These innovations MADE HER AND

HER SON APPEAR AS THE WOMAN AND

book ”Satan’s Great Deception.”

by Dr. C. Paul Meredith

HER PROMISED “SEED” THROUGH WHICH SALVATION WAS TO COME. This promise was foretold by God in the Garden of Eden (Genesis 3 : 15 ) .

Holidays were sct apart on which the new divinities were to be worshipped. Almost all the principal Bible teachings of salvation were counterfeited by this system-an evil twist being given to them. These “Mysteries” or ceremonies appealed to the physical senses-to the carnal nature with which man is born (Rom. 7: 14) . They became very popu- lar.

What better way could the Devil play upon human lusts and desires! Thus men

feit way of salvation. Fables smothered God’s true way to salvation by confusing the people.

Eternal life was promised through the false messiah. The people of the earth gladly gave the rule of their lives on this earth over to him. The mother and son promised security and guaranteed eternal life through rituals and penance. The ex- tremely ambitious and unprincipled Semiramis saw her opportunity. Using all the might of her great empire to back her lie, she enforced her claim to be the mother of this great Saviour.

Thus, SHE BECAME THE ORIGINAL RE-

EARTH (Rev. 17 : 1-2 ) . Both her own and Satan’s desires were fulfilled! She ruled the earth and Satan obscured the rule of God which alone can bring life ever- lasting.

accepted a falre purpnse and a mnnte t -

LIGIOUS RULER OVER THE KINGS OF THE

Idolatry Spreads Everywhere

BABYLON WAS THE PRIMEVAL

IDOLATRY FLOWED (Herodotus’ History, book ii, p. 109). Layard in his Nineveh and Its Remains, vol. ii, p. 440, speaks of this Babylonian system of worship. He writes that we have the united testimony

SOURCE FROM WHICH ALL SYSTEMS OF

of sacred and profane history that idolatry originated in the Assyrian (Baby- lonian) area and is believed to be the most ancient of religious systems!

This was the first Babylon. TODAY, THE WORLD IS STILL IN BABYLON THE GREAT! (Rev. 17:5). Isaiah 47:l de- scribes the system which rules the earth today as the DAUGHTER OF THE ORIGI- NAL BABYLON and Revelation 18:3 says ALL NATIONS have drunk of the wine of her spiritual fornication or false doctrine!

As the language in each country was different, naturally the names of Nimrod, Semiramis, and Semiramis’ illegitimate snn Honis-the retnrned false Messiah whom she palmed off as the resurrected Nimrod-were different.

The Devil continued to twist Gods word and the truth which the early in- habitants of the earth had known. Semi- ramis, inspired by Satan, duplicated all things which were revealed by God. She credited her family with divine attributes to enhance her earthly power and prestige. Among these was her counterfeit of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

Truth About God Changed

One of the pagan concepts originating with Semiramis is the false idea of a “Trinity.” How does this compare with what the Bible reveals to us? Let us examine Genesis 1 : 1-2 : “In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth . . . and the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters.” The Hebrew word for “God” here is Elohiym, which is plural. The Father and He who was to become the Son are here referred to (John 1: 1) The word “Spirit” means the Holy Spirit of God-that divine force by which so much good is accom- plished and which resides in both Father and Son.

Genesis 1 : 1 says that during the cre-

ation period “The Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters.” It is this same spirit which God says He will pour orrt on all flesh in the future: “It shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour otct My Spirit upon all flesh and your sons and your daughters shall proph- esy” (Joel 2:28). The same Hebrew word ruwach is used in both cases for “spirit.”

Actually, GOD IS A FAMILY, NOT A TRINITY OF PERSONS. GOD IS A FAMILY COMPOSED OF TWO BEINGS WITH A COMMON SPIRIT. It is into this Divine Family that we may be born (John 3 ) . Note now that the pagans termed the Holy Spirit a “Being” such as the Father and Son. They wrongly made a Trinity.

An examination of the triune emblem of the supreme Assyrian divinity clearly shows a knowledge of the original truth: The emblem had the head of the old man (the Father). Next there is the zero or circle, which stood in the Chal- dean (Babylonian) language for “a circle” or “seed” (the Savior). Lastly, the wings and tail of the dove (the Holy Spirit, which Semiramis soon sup- planted).

This concept of God preceded the counterfeit of Semiramis which was soon introduced.

At that very early period, an important change took place in regard to the divinity: the Spirit of God, according to the harlot-queen Semiramis, became in- carnate in a human mother, and the Divine Son became the fruit of that incarnation (Hislop’s Two Babylons, p. 18).

Semiramis, through her mysteries, hundreds of years before Christ’s birth, duplicated the truly miraculous event! Her own illegitimate son was the returned “Saviour”! How BAFFLING IT

SATAN WAS CONFUSING MANKIND.

MUST HAVE BEEN FOR THE PAGANS, WHO HAD ONCE KNOWN GOD, TO NOW PERCEIVE THE TRUTH!

Semiramis identified herself as this Spirit and ascribed to herself the power of aiding in the creation of the world. Through her method of deification, she taught her followers that she, in one of her forms, had been the dove-a symbol of the Spirit that “mowed upon the face of the waters” at creation. She moved or “fluttered” . . . “on the face of the waters”


(Gen. 1:2) (Hislop, p. 303). She claimed to be one of the “Trinity.” She had become “as the Gods.”

Please recall that it was the d o l e that lighted on Christ’s shoulder at his baptism. Far in the future, in the day of Christ, this identical symbol-the dove -pictured the descent of the Holy Spirit on Christ! (John 1:32). It is becoming clear, isn’t it, that there was a plan behind these pagan similarities!

Same Pagan Ideas in Today’s World

To symbolize the “Trinity” doctrine, the equilateral triangle was used, just as the Church uses it today (Layard’s Baby- lon and Nineveh, p. 605 ). Some churches in Madrid have an image of a Triune God with three heads on one body (Parkhurst’s Hebrew Lexicon, p. 605). Thus we see the origin of the false doctrine of the “Trinity”!

Here again is seen the influence of the Babylonian Mysteries on religion as it is being carried on today!

“The recognition of a Trinity was universal in all the ancient nations of the world, proving how deep-rooted in the human race was the primeval doctrine on this subject, which comes out so distinctly in Genesis” (Hislop, p. 18). In Japan the great divinity Buddha has one body and three heads (Gillespie’s Sinam, p. 60, and lafet , p. 184, shows that the pagans of Siberia worshipped a god with a similar body.

Later the Father was overlooked. As the Great Invisible, taking no immediate concern in human affairs, He was to be worshipped through silence alone (Jam- blichus’ on the Mysteries, sect. viii., chap. iii). Today, in some churches we hear much about the Mother and Child (Christ being depicted as being dependent on His mother), but little about God the Father. A HUMAN woman is thus made supreme!

Family of God Counterfeited

The true teaching of the Bible is that the Father and Son comprise the One Kingdom or Family of God. The Holy Spirit is the common nature, mind, and force of God (Gen. 1 : 2 , John 1 : 1 ) Jesus said, “God is Spirit” (John 4: 24). “God” is a Divine Family composed of Spirit, not material flesh. As we have seen above, at present only two persons-

Father and Son, comprise this Family. But we can become members of that Family!

Is there a mention of the pagan counterfeit of God in the Bible? Yes. It is spoken of in Isaiah 66:17. In the King James Version you will find the ambiguous words, “behind one tree in the midst.” The proper translation should be: “after the rites of the Only One.” The ancient pagan deity “Only One” was the triune counterfeit of God. The concept of the False Triune God!

The proper reading then is, “They that sanctify and purify themselves . . . after the rites of the Only One, eating swines flesh . . . shall be consumed” (Hislop’s The Two Babylow, p. 16) .

Those who take part in the rites of this counterfeit god shall be destroyed!

The Devil’s Part in the Counterfeits

We have found how Semiramis used the God-Kingdom, spoken of in Genesis 1: 1-2, to fit into her mysteries. But how did she fit the Serpent or devil (Rev. 20:2) into these?

We shall now see! Plutarch, in De hide, says of the ser-

pent (Genesis 3 : 1 ) : “First Tammuz (Nimrod as the ‘Savior’) was wore shipped as the bruiser of the serpent’s head, meaning thereby that he was the appointed destroyer of Satan’s kingdom. Then the dragon himself, or Satan, came to receive a certain measure of worship, to ‘console him,’ as the pagans said, ‘for the loss of his power,’ and to prevent him from hurting them; and last of all the dragon, or Teitan or SATAN, BECAME THE SUPREME OBJECT OF WORSHIP, the Titania, or rites of Teitan, occupying a prominent place in the Egyptian Mys- teries” (vol. ii, p. 362, 364). The same is true of the Mysteries of Greece (Pot- ter’s Antiquities, vol. i., p. 400).

What is the real significance of all this? Remember that it was for support- ing the rites of serpent worship and sun worship that Nimrod was killed by Shem. So, first, Semiramis catctiously introduced her illegitimate son as the brui~sr of the serpent’s head.

But as soon as the way was paved, she cautiously re-introduced a certain measure of the rerfient word+ which Nim- rod had first introduced. The serpent (dragon), Teitan, or Satan, became the


s ~ p r c m c object of ancient worship. Semiramis now changed her position

in her Mysteries. She claimed to be the wife of Pluto, the god of hell-the serpent-in order to fit her new position as sponsor of serpent or Devil worship. “Under the name of the ‘Dove’ she was worshipped as the Incarnation of the spirit of G o d . . . and WAS KNOWN HER-

Under the name of Proserpine she was celebrated as the mother of the first Bacchus, and known as ‘Pluto’s honored wife’!’’ (Hislop, p. 126.)

SELF AS THE ‘VIRGIN’ MOTHER . . .

Pagan Hades a Myth

Where did the idea of hades or purgatory originate?

Bacchus, as we have seen, was the Grecian god who represented Tammuz. Pluto represented Satan. Now consider the following: “How vitally important was the place that Teitan or Satan occupied, may be judged from the fact that Pluto, the god of Hell, was looked up to as the great god on whom the destinies of mankind in the eternal world did mainly depend; for it was said that TO

SOUL AFTER DEATH”’ (Taylor’s Pausa- nias vol., iii, p. 321) . Pluto was the Greek name for the Babylonian god Kronos.

Here we see that Pluto (the Greek name for their god who represented Nimrod) -merely different names for the devil or serpent-instead of burning people up, was purifying them by fire after death!

Semiramis, as was her custom in form- ing her “Mysteries,” linked her deified family with notable characters, whether they were good or bad. She used which- ever one best fitted the times. She soon found it helpful to identify her deified husband as Kronos or Saturn-the devil himself! Scattered noticcs of antiquity say that the name of the first deified king of Babylon was Kronos or Saturn ( Hislop, p. 3 1 ) . She had been guided by the devil in order that the devil might be worshipped!

The Bible says that the wages of sin is death-eternal death (Rom. 6 : 2 3 ) . And I1 Peter 3:lO-11, and Revelation 20:12 indicate that eternal death will be caused by this whole earth burning up and causing the destruction of all who

PLUTO IT BELONGED TO ‘PURIFY THE

have not become spirit beings in the Kingdom of God. NOWHERE DOES THE BIBLE TEACH THERE IS A PLACE UNDER THE GROUND WHERE PEOPLE ARE TOR-

MENTED BY FIRE. This is another of the false conceptions handed down by Semi- ramis.

Satan has people of the earth so confused today that they actually do not know whether they are coming into the true knowledge which will lead to the eternal life or actually going the way which will lead to eternal death. Only the inspired Word of God-the Bible- closely studied, shows us the right way and the actual destinations of the sinner and the saved!

Devil Worship Reaches Rome

Purgatory in Paganism was the grand hinge of priestcraft and superstition. “The serpents were the supreme of all the gods and princes of the universe.” . . . No wonder that it came at last to be firmly believed that the Messiah, on whom the hopes of the world depended, was Himself the “seed of the serpent”! (Eusebius Proeparatio Evang., vol. i, p. 50.)

“This was manifestly the case in Greece; for the current story there came to be, that the first Bacchus (the Gre- cian name of Tammuz) was brought forth in consequence of a connection on the part of his mother with the father of the gods, in the form of a ‘speckled snake.’ Thus the (devil) . . . got himself almost everywhere recognized as in every deed ‘the god of this world’ ”(lbid). The devil, through one form or another, obtained the worship of this world!

Let us note the message of God to His true churches over 60 years after Christ’s time. What did He reveal through Christ in Revelation regarding pagan worship of Satan? God addressed His mcssage to the church at Pergarnos. It was the true seat of Babylonian devil worship after Belshazzar’s time (Hislop, p. 240) .

In Rev. 2:13-14, Christ, speaking to the church of Pergamos, says, “I know thy works, even where Sntnn’s sent is . . . thou hast there them that hold the doctrine of Balaam.”

In Pergamos, which was outctandingly “Satan’s seat,” the SUN-DIVINITY BAAL- Balaam’s doctrine was idolatrous sun

worship (Num. 25:l-3; 31:16)-~& WORSHIPPED UNDER THE FORM OF A SERPENT and under the name of Aescu- lapius, “the man-instructing serpent” (Macrobius Saturnalia, book I, p. 650.) In Satan’s seat, over 60 years after Chi-rt’s time, the main worship was s m and serpent!

This sun and devil worship was TRANSFERRED to Rome when Pergamos became a part of the Roman Empire.

According to the fundamental doctrine of the Mysteries, as brought from Pergarnos t o Rome, THE SUN WAS THE ONLY GOD. In Pergamos the sun had been worshipped as a Serpent!

Counterfeit of Adam’s and Eve’s Disobedience

In Genesis, chapters 2 and 3, God has given us an account of the deception by Satan of Adam and Eve.

W e have already seen the importance to mankind of understanding this event. It furnishes a clue as to how mankind has been misled by the devil and as to the ultimate result.

Also, we have seen that mankind at first did know the significance of this event in Eden. Would the devil let this warning to the people stand, or would he, through human means, counterfeit it and keep mankind under his control? Would he let man remember how he deceived Eve? W e shall see.

Let us remember the following: Eve sinned because she saw that the tree appeared to be good. She gazed. The pagans, knowing of this event, typified her in a gazing position by their idols. They remembered this event and Satan’s deception!

Throughout the world there are, in Paganism, many goddesses known IS

“gazing mothers” or gazing women. The Chinese goddess-mother, or “Queen of Heaven,” in the province of Puhkien, is worshipped by seafaring people under the name of Ma Tsoopo which is believed to mean “gazing mother” (Gilles- pie’s Land of Sinim, p. 64). The name of the great Egyptian mother, Mut, in one of its vocabulary forms signifies “to look’ or “gaze” (Bunsen’s Vocabuky , vol. i, p. 471 ) .

The Egyptian goddess-mother Mu or Mut was symbolized by either a vulture, or an eye surrounded by vulture’s wings

(Wilkinson, vol. v, p. 203 ) . The vulture is noted for its sharp sight, and the great mother of the gods (recall that Semiramis was the “mother of gods”) in Egypt had been known as “The Gazer.” The Athenian Minerva wore a helmet with two eyes or eye holes in its front (Vaux’s Antiqi&ies, p. 186) .

What have these similar Pagan deities to do with the lesson God wanted mankind to learn at Eden? It was believed by the Babylonians that Rhea (Eve) conceived by Kronos (Satan), and brought forth a child called Muth or Death, declared Sanchuniathon.

Sanchuniathon shows that this is in accord with Genesis, for Eve’s lust, inspired by Satan, “when it had conceived did bring forth Death.” “When lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth death” (James 1: 15).

How did the devil remove this lesson of his deception and even turn it to his advantage?

Again, we find the answer in the goddess queen of Babylon. The goddess queen of Babylon held a pomegranate in her hand. Astarte or Cybele (Syrian and Roman names, respectively, for their goddesses corresponding to Semiramis ) was also called “Inaia Mater” which signifies “the mother of knowledge”-in other words our mother Eve, who first coveted the “knowledge of good and evil.” The pomegranate was represented as the fruit of the forbidden tree (His-

Notice the clever deception! Men were taught to look upon Semiramis as their grand benefactress, as gaining knowledge which they might otherwise have sought in vain! SATAN THUS

lop, pp. 110-113).

TAUGHT GOOD CAME TO MANKIND BY EVE’S DISOBEDIENCE TO THE ETERNAL AND OBEDIENCE TO HIM! According to the classic pagan story, it was God who was the snake that would not let man eat of the desirable tree of knowledge of good and evil. The false Messiah, Tam- mut (as Hercules), slew it (Hislop, p. 112).

This, then, is a classical example of how Satnn twists the teachings that God holds so dear! IT IS CERTAIN THAT AS HE WAS PERVERTING THE TRUTH SO MIGHTILY THEN, HE HAS NOT STOPPED NOW.

We have now seen why the gospel

The PLAIN TRUTH

that Christ proclaimed was counterfeited hundreds of years before Christ! From history it has been proved that these counterfeits do have their effect on religion today!

Short Questions (Continued from page 24)

don’t come to personally KNOW GOD! Such people have NOT TRULY REPENTED and their baptism was probably not valid! Their’s was only a ritualistic “dunking” in the water.

If you were baptized for ANY of these reasons-YOUR BAPTISM WAS PROBABLY NOT A VALID BAPTISM, because your motives were not right! You need to really repent and be baptized into Christ by a true servant of God in order to receive the Holy Spirit and be added to the body of Christ-the true Church ( I Cor. 12:13).

Some of you may still have doubts about whether you are properly baptized. Yozl need t o be sure! It is important that you counsel with a true minister of God about it. Nation-wide baptizing tours will be sent out next summer to visit those who have re- qzlested baptism. If you want a faithful minister or servant of God to counsel with you about your baptism, then send your name and address immediately to Mr. Armstrong, Box 11 1, Pasadena, Cal- ifornia. (Those who live overseas should write to our London office, B. C. M. Ambassador, London W. C. l., or P.O. Box 345, North Sydney, Australia.)

Don’t piit this off any longer! It means so much to your spiritual growth.

iUN ANUNCIO IMPORTANTE!

<Ha recibido usted su copia de la conmovedora obra del Sr. Arm- strong intitulado iSana Dios Hoy en Dia?

Tendremos mucho gusto en en- viarle gratuitamente su ejemplar a1 recibir su carta. Dirijase usted a:

EL MUNDO DE MARANA P.O. Box 910

Pasadena, California

February, 1960

Have you enrolled in our free Ambassador College Bible Correspondence Course?

This is a totally new, different kind of Bible study course, designed to lead you, by the study of your own Bible, to UN- DERSTAND the whole meaning of today’s fast-moving SPACE AGE, of the PURPOSE being worked out here below, of PROPHECY, of SALVATION, of this entire Treasure-House of knowledge, which is GOD’S WORD-the TRUTH.

The most VITAL, most IMPOR- TANT questions of YOUR LIFE are thoroughly gone into, and you are di- rected to the clear, plain, simple answers in your BIBLE! You will learn HOW to study the Bible-WHY so few UNDER- STAND it. You will PROVE whether the Bible really i s the INSPIRED WORD OF GOD!

Just address your letter requesting the Ambassador College Bible Correspond- ence Course to Box 11 1, Pasadena, Cali- fornia. Those in Europe should address our European office: B.C.M. Ambassador, London W.C. 1.

Autobiography (contiwed from page 10)

modity or service to the consumer. Many people believe that if they can purchase a non-advertised brand they save money. They suppose the merchant or manufacturer who advertises must add the cost of the advertising to the price.

Do You Pay More for Advertised Goods ?

Let me tell you the true “inside facts” -the PLAIN TRUTH about this supposi- tion. Truly, people as a whole are DE- CEIVED today, not only about God’s truth, but even facts about business.

Actually, if the advertising is intelli- gently and effectively used, it reduces the price t o the consumer! I think it may be interesting to you to know.

Here is how it works: Suppose a certain comparatively

small store sells $100,000 worth of men’s clothing and haberdashery in one year. This store spent nothing for advertising. But it did pay, shall we say, $70,000 for the merchandise to the manufacturers. And it also had to pay,


shall we say, $15,000 for clerk hire, and $10,000 for store-rent, heat, light, water, wrapping paper-all other expenses. So you see that for every dollar of goods bought by a customer, the merchant had to pay, over and above the cost of the merchandise, 259, which is 25%, as a cost of doing business. He had 5 ~ - o r 5% of sales-left for himself. This merchant, then, based on sales price, had a cost of 70% for merchandise, and 25% as cost of doing business, with 5% profit for all his own time, hard work, worry, and return on his capital investment.

Now suppose this merchant tries advertising the next year. This is, approx- imately, what did happen in a similar interesting case in Astoria, as I shall relate below. I am assuming this merchant’s advertising is effective.

So the following year this merchant spends $4,500 in advertising. It is effective, and brings in new customers. This year his sales increase to $150,000. But because in the preceding year his salesmen did not have enough customers to keep them busy, he does not need to hire additional clerks. He still pays the same rent, public utilities, and similar expenses-a total of $25,000, the same as the year before.

But here is the big difference. That $25,000 was a 25% cost of doing business the year he sold $100,000 worth of goods. But now, with sales of $150,000, it is only 162/3%. But he did have one increase in business expense-his $4,500 advertising. But even so, his $29,500 cost of doing business is only 192/3%. This merchant passes this saving in total cost of his business expense, per dollar of sales, to his customers, still taking for himself the same 5% of sales for profit.

Lowering Prices

Now see where this leaves the customers, and what it makes for the merchant. You may think the customers were the only ones who benefited, since the merchant still took only 5% profit. But the merchant actually made half again more for himself-because his 5 % profit now is taken from $150,000 sales, instead of $100,000. So the merchant did all right for himself!-he made $7,500 this year instead of only $5,000.

But what about prices to the customers? The same item-or number of items- that sold for $100 the non-advertising ycar are now priced at only $92.92. It is simple to figure. The merchant still paid $70 for this amount of merchan- disc. But his business expense now was only 192/3%, and profit 5%-total 242/3% instead of 30% the year before. 24%% of the sales price of $92.92 is 822.92. Add this $22.92 to the merchant’s cost of the goods, $70, and you have the sales price of $92.92.

So what actually happened? The merchant saved his customers more than 76 on the dollar-or $7.08 on each $100 of purchases. So his advertising re- dzlced the cost of goods to the customer! At the same time, this merchant made $7,500 for his own year’s work, which was $2,500 more than he made the year before he advertised.

You might ask, didn’t the advertising cost anything? Of course. It cost $4,500 --or 3% of his year’s sales. Then HOW did it save the customers money, and make more money for the merchant? The answer is that it does cost money to run a store. It does cost money for us who are customers to have a merchant take all of his time, and all of his salesmen’s time, to gather in merchandise from New York, from Chicago, from London, from Los Angeles, and assemble it all in one store for the convenience of us customers. But could we go to the clothing manufacturer in New York, the shirt niariufacturer in Utica, New York, arid the shoe manufacturer in Boston or St. Louis to buy our goods, without spending money over and above thc factory cost? Of course not. And if we all did this individually, the manufacturer would have to charge us more, because it would add to his expenses to have to deal with so many people. When the factory sells enough suits, or shoes, or hats for 200 people, or 500 people or more to just one store, he can sell for much less than he could by making 500 different transactions with 500 individual customers. So actually the local merchant renders us a pretty valuable service, far cheaper than we could do it ourselves.

In so doing, he has a cost of doing business. And, as the experience of thousands and thousands of retail stores

shows, that cost is reduced by spending about 3% or 4% in advertising, because then he spends less, per dollar of sales, on such other expenses as rent, salaries, public utilities, etc. His total expenses of op- erating his store are less, per dollar of sales.

That is how it works. Why your local merchants do not use a little of their advertising to just explain these simple but interesting facts to their public, I do not know. But I have spent years of my life as an advertising and merchandising specialist, and I thought that these fucts about the price you pay for goods you buy every day-whether at

the grocery store, the clothing store, the dry-goods store, or where, might prove interesting. You come in direct contact with this very merchandising operation at least every week of your life.

Now let me relate to you the rather exciting story of an experience with one store in Astoria.

Breaking All Precedent

There were four retail clothing (men’s) stores in Astoria. Three advertised, and were signed up on these five-year contracts. The second largest, Krohn & Carson, had never spent its first dime in advertising. I checked financial ratings in Dunn & Bradstreet. Krohn & Carson had the highest financial rating of the four.

So I went immediately to Krohn & Carson. I found them as firmly set against advertising as a 50-foot-thick stone wall. Apparently it was even more impossible to crack their stone-wall re- sistance against advertising than to break these five-year contracts. Yet I did have a will, and I did find a way!

I mentioned above that newspaper and magazine advertising has always been sold by the column inch or by the page. The Messenger rate was 25/ per inch. The larger evening paper charged 50e per inch. But now I deliberately shattered all precedent in newspaper advertising practice.

I proposed an entirely new, completely revolutionary plan to Krohn & Carson. I explained to them what I have explained to you, above, how effective advertising works. The clothing stores in Astoria were each selling only about

40% as much merchandise as they had sold before the depression.

“But,” I explained, “for every $100 that men used to spend in these four stores, they still spend $40. Now if we can show Astoria men and their wives that you can save them money in this depression, a larger portion of that $40 will come to you. I can show you how you can still double your business, and your own profits, and at the same time save your customers money by lowering prices! ”

It sounded fantastic, preposterous! But it cost them nothing to listen to my plan.

“First,” I proposed, “you will put on a big price-reducing sale. Your shelves are loaded with goods that are not moving. Retail success depends more on turn-over-keeping your goods moving than on big margins of profit. Yon have capital tied up in all these goods. Put on a sale. Sell it for less money-get your money back out of the merchandise, plus a small margin to cover business expenses-re-invest that money in more goods-keep it moving. Better make 12 profits a year of only 1& on a dollar of sales, than a 1Oe profit once in two years. This way you make 12% on your investment. The way you are doing now you make only 5 e per dollar.

“Now, here is how we will make this sale a success, and double your business. Harvard Bureau uf Business Re- search figures show that the retail clothing stores which spend 4% of sales in advertising have the hwest cost of doing business, and the highest turnover. To spend less than 4% in advertising means to spend higher percentages in salaries, rent, utilities, and other expenses. To spend more than 4% does not bring enough additional increase in sales to pay. So this is what I propose. It is a new plan. It is zmheard-of in newspaper advertising! You pay f J J jwt. 3% of yoiir sales. That is one-fourth less spent on advertising than most successful stores spend. Then we will give you ab.ro- lately unlimited space in The Messenger. I will give you my own personal service in writing all your advertising. Your competitors cannot afford to bring spe- cially trained professional advertising writ‘ers to Astoria-and they do not know how to write ads that can compete with what I will write for you.


with twice as much space as Krohn & Carson, and with four times as much front window display space, had failed and closed up. The landlord of this store-room, faced with a no-rent pros- pect for the duration of the depression, offered this to Krohn & Carson for half the rent they had been paying in their corner location.

I advised taking it. Then I recom- mended a new merchandising policy.

“If you double the size of your store, you will have to also double the volume of business, or such a big store-space will look rather foolish,” I said. “Now, you are reducing your expenses, by lower rent, not adding to them. If you will be willing to try out a new merchandising policy, I think my ads will convince the men of Astoria, and make it work. My idea is that you now keep these special reduced sales prices in effect right along. If you have double the sales volume+r keep up what you are doing in this special sale-without increasing your expenses, you can make at least as much profit-perhaps more, and win the good will of the customers-help the public by reduced prices-and, as

the depression begins to end and pros- perity comes again, you’ll be the largest and best liked store in town.”

They agreed. As soon as the sale ended, and they moved to the new larger store, I began running full page “editorial” style advertisements. They were of the nature of a straight “Man-to-Man Talk” with the men of Astoria and vicinity.

I told the men that, if they would keep up the sales volume, this store believed it would be able to keep these reduced special-sale prices in effect every day in the year. I told them of the reduced rent. I told them of Krohn & Car- son’s well known financial capital-how they were able to take cash discounts, and buy for less-and were willing to pass these savings on to customers, if customers in turn would keep up the sales volume. I explained, as I have above for you, how increased sales volume. if it does not increase expenses, can lower the price to the consumer.

The ads were sensational in policy- dignified in appearance-and they had a ring of sincerity that rang true. The men of Astoria responded.

“We will ztart out with four full pages, announcing this sale. W e will make it a BIG sale-and we will make it look big! W e will reprint the four pages in our job printing department as a big handbill, and you can hire boys to distribute those to every house within the entire Astoria trade territory. W e will charge you nothing extra for the circulars, but you hire them distributed. W e will follow this up with two-page ads as long as the sale lasts. It will be an Astoria sensation.

“Now that people can spend only 40% as much for clothing as they did before the depression, they have to try to save every penny. They are price- conscious. These lower prices will bring in crowds of customers from miles around.”

How Could WE Afford it?

“But, Mr. Armstrong,” protested the younger partner, Mr. Krohn, who was Mr. Carson’s son-in-law, “how can you afford to give us four whole pages, and then repeated double-pages, at no increase in cost to us-just this 3%?”

“’l‘wo reasons,” 1 explained, smiling. “First, because I know this policy and this big space will greatly increase your sales. If we double your sales, we double what you pay us. It makes us a partner in your business, in a way. W e get paid according to the resulrs we bring yuu. If we don’t bring more customers, you don’t pay more. Then there is a second reason why we can afford to do this. W e have to print eight pages every day- never less. The paper now has very little advertising. I am going to write these ads and design them with great, large display type. It will cost us far less to set a page, or two pages of these big- type ads than for our linotype opera- tors to have set all pages in small news type.”

Mr. Krohn persuaded Mr. Carson to accept my offer.

The sale drew crowds Sales soared. During the sale an opportunity came

to the store to double its floor-space, and still reduce rent. The store occupied a corner location. The landlord had not reduced rent in proportion to reduced business during the depression. A ladies’ ready-to-wear store which had occupied a middle-of-the-block location

February, 1960

“Breaking” the Opposition I am taking space to explain in some

detail this experience for one reason. I hope many readers may get from it the lesson of a valuable principle: there is always a WAY, where there is a WILL!

Would you have quit, thrown up your hands, and said, “ I t can’t be done”?

And let me explain, here, another principle I always followed in my business experience - especially in advertising and selling. It was never to sell anything, unless I was convinced it benefited the other fellow, as well as myself.

“Be an expert adviser in your customers’ interests” was a slogan I tried to follow. “Know your stuff’ was another-in the advertising man’s ver- nacular. Always educate yourself in your field. Know more about it than your competitors, or your customer. Know how to help your customer. If you are profitable to him, he will stay with you. Another adage I followed was: “A a s - tomer is more valuable than a sale.” The one-time sales to customers who feel they were talked into something unprofitable costs more to make than it is worth. I have always wondered why more business men do not understand these principles. Honesty is the best policy!

But back to our story. As I said, the men of Astoria respond-

ed. Soon Krohn & Carson was doing more than half of all the clothing and haberdashery business in town. The ones my work did not benefit-and for this reason I would never do this again -were the competitors.

In this experience I learned a few things about Jewish people. Both Mr. Krohn and Mr. Carson were Jewish. So was their chief competitor, who had previously had the biggest business, across the street. In business, these men were bitter enemies. But after business hours-well, that was different. Then they were friends. At the synagogue they were friends. But in the store- there they looked across the street at the competitive store with intense rivalry.

It is the same in many other hriai- nesses or professions. I certainly do not waste time watching prize-fights on tele- vision. But who can avoid seeing a few seconds of one occasionally, turning the dial from one channel to another? Have

The PLAIN TRUTH

run many half page ads in the evening paper at their high rates-and even when I do you come out with a bigger one for Krohn & Carson, and they get all the business from my ad as well as their own! You have brought me to the place where I am willing now to take a chance on the evening paper doing anything if I break my agreement not to advertise with you. I want you to make me the same deal you did Krohn & Car- son-and I am willing to sign up right now! ”

I m sorry,” I replied, “but you and all the other merchants turned me down cold when I first came to Astoria. You presented me with a kind of unfair competition such as I never heard of. You forced me to break all precedent to develop new advertisers out of non-advertising merchants. That plan was offered to only ONE merchant in each line. You said you were bound and could not advertise with us. Now WE are bound, and can’t give you this same deal of unlimited space on a percent of sales.”

“Well, then,” he countered, “can I buy space with you at your regular price by the inch?”

“Oh yes, of course” was the answer. “But that is not enough,” he con-

tinued. “It is the way you write these ads that is bringing the business to Krohn & Carson’s. Will you write my ads, as well as theirs? If you will, I will start advertising with you, and quit with the evening paper.”

I had not bound myself to exclusive ad-writing service, so I was free to agree. Next morning, his first ad, about a third of a page, appeared.

When I walked into the Krohn & Carson store that day, Mr. Carson was like a wild man.

“LOOK at this! ” he shouted. “Anyone would know you wrote that ad. You cancel our advertising immediately, and don’t ever come in this store again.”

“All right, Mr. Carson, if that’s what you really want to do,” I said. “But first, 1 want you to calm down and listen to me just one moment. I never offered you my advertising-writing services exclu- sively. I have not given your competitor the unlimited space on a percent-of- sales basis a t all. H e has to pay the regular rate by the inch. Mr. Carson, I have doubled your business for you in the

,, 3

you cvcr noticcd the end of such a fight? Men who have fought viciously, un- mercifully, with the “killer-instinct” trying to knock each other unconscious, will dance to their “enemy” of a second ago, after the final bell, and throw their arms around each other in loving em- brace-and it makes no difference if one is white and the other colored! Lawyers who will fight each other angrily in a court room during the heat of a trial, will go out to lunch together after it’s over, as the best of friends! I’ve seen bankers who have been bitter rivals forget it completely, and call each other by their first names, “buddy-buddy” fashion, at national bankers’ con- ventions.

But, in business Krohn & Carson’s Jewish rival across the street was bitter and now getting more and more bitter!

In desperation, as his customers flocked over to Krohn & Carson’s, he ran a half page ad in the “opposition” paper. It cost him twice as much per inch as our regular inch rate. In it he advertised a price-slashing sale. Mr. Krohn called me to the store.

“Look at this!” he exclaimed, worried. “Now maybe he will get the business, and our new plan will fail after all.”

“Oh no,” I laughed. “This only means it’s time for you and me to get busy. I want you to take that ad, and mark your own prices, cut STILL LOWER, on every item-item for item-listed in his ‘ad.’ Tomorrow morning we will run a Two- PAGE ad, listing exactly the same items, every one priced LOWER-and once again reminding the men that Krohn & Carson SAVE THEM MONEY. We’ll run a special sale tomorrow, also, on these same items.”

Mr. Krohn looked at me and shook his head in amazement, and then began to grin, as hc wcnt to work marking lower prices.

Next day all the special sale customers filed into Krohn & Carson’s-the biggest day in some time, while their rival across the street looked more discouraged than ever in his empty store.

Later that day, he telephoned The Messenger office, and asked if I would come to the store tn see him.

“Look here,” he stormed, “you are breaking my business. I can’t afford to


midst of this terrible depression. I have worked hard for you, and made you money. But I am advertising manager of the Messelzger, and when my plan he- gins to really work, and break down these unethical and illegal contracts our ‘opposition paper’ holds over these other merchants, that is the real reason I evolved this unprecedented system that has doubled your business, and made you the LEADER in Astoria, instead of second-fiddle like you were. Now, if you don’t appreciate that, and want to cancel -o.K.! I’ll walk out of this store, and never come back again-and now you free me to give this whole plan to your competitor across the street! ”

I began to walk out rapidly. Mi. Carson showed surprising and

amazing athletic ability in scampering behind the counters to the front door before I could get there! He darted into the door-way, blocked it, holding up both hands.

“Wait! Wait!” he exclaimed. “Don’t you walk out of here! Don‘t you cancel our agreement!”

He came up and threw his arms atound me, and cried like a child.

“Mr. Armstrong,” he said, embracing me, “I have loved you like a son. I didn’t mean what I said. I want you to still be my advertising manager and adviser - e v e n if you do write ads for that fellow across the street.”

Even though dollars were at stake, Mr. Carson spoke from the heart. He was filled with emotion, now. He was really sincere-he did really feel a deep love for me. It was not only because of the business success our relationship had brought-our close personal association had brought about mutual affection. He was a business man-he was very conscious of dollars, and had acquired his share of them-but underneath was a real warm heart capable of real friendship.

Our radio listeners have heard me say that I do not hate the Jews-I love them, as I love all people. Some, allowing themselves to become “hooked” on the insidious, poisonous “drug” of anti- Semitism, and hatred for Jews, have never learned all there is to know about Jewish people. Sure, many of them, de- spised and hated and persecuted by race prejudice, have developed a keen sense

of “dollar consciousness,” but who among us is so free from faults and sins he can throw the first stone? I have also learned that many Jews also have very warm hearts of friendship. We have all been carnal, weighted with human nature, until converted and filled with God’s Holy Spirit of LOVE, and TOLER- ANCE!

Unable to Leave

I have been getting ahead of my story. I have carried this one experience with this one advertising client on to its conclusion, over a period of many months. But I wanted to complete this one case history, as a typical example of the As- toria newspaper experience.

Back, now to December, 1931. In Astoria was one of the two leading

hardware stores not tied up on those 5 - year contracts, beside the J. C. Penney store, one of the “movies” and several restaurants. I induced most of the restaurants to take out advertising in trade for meal checks for our employes, and the Penney store and the hardware store accepted my unlimited space on a per- centage-uf-sales labis. BUL by December 31, I found I was caught in a trap. W e had 23 men employed. If I left then, the paper would have folded up, and these men would have been out of work. There still was no money in the Oregon Conference church treasury to bring me back into the ministry. I was stuck in Astoria. God intended for me to learn a lesson. It seems that most of the time I have had to learn these lessons the HARD

WAY, through experience, and by suffering. This was to be no exception. It was not until the end of February, 1933, that my prayers to be relieved of these newspaper responsibilities, and to be allowed to return to God’s ministry, were answered.

It was a long, hard haul for a year and three months in Astoria. How I moved my family out there-how Gar- ner Ted, having been dumb and unable to speak, was instantly healed and given his voice which is today heard by millions around the world; how we went hungry until we began faithfully prac- ticing God’s financial law of tithing; and how, at long last, I was put back in the ministry, will be explained in the next installment.

the truth 1960s/plain truth...dear mr. armstrong: “your broadcast is filling a need for those who...

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